Cetra the forgotten People
by The Reverse Edge Blade
Summary: This story used to be the last part of a series I once had at fanfiction, but now it's a standalone. In this story, The Cetra are the centre of the plot. please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: The Cetra Village

Hi there, folks! The last FF 7 fic I'll write as a part of the other stories I've published. Hope you'll like it! There are many characters I made up myself in order to make the story a little more content. NOTE: the character "Aireth" is a character where I've used Aeris as the basis for her, but there are many changes between these two characters. What these differences are, you'll find out soon enough, as both Aireth and Aeris are in this fanfic.

I hope you won't find the story confusing. I've been trying to go pretty much back and forth in time here. This story isn't really about Cloud, Zack or Tifa. They are involved, yeah, but they aren't the people most important in this fic. In this story, a small group of the Cetra people are still alive, and living along with Aeris in the Forgotten City were Sephiroth kills Aeris. Please review!

**CETRA**

**The forgotten**

**People**

**Chapter one**

**The Cetra Village.**

Aireth woke up by the feeling of sunlight on her face. She opened her eyes, yawned and sat up. She turned on the light on her bedside table, and looked around. "I guess Mom was right. I'm not good at keeping my bedroom tidy. At the moment, her small bedroom was extremely messy. Old manga-magazines and books lied strewn across the floor. (for those of you who doesn't know; Manga is Japanese cartoons) Most of her clothes were just lying around, outside of her closet. All of her possessions seemed to _never _be in order. "Perhaps I should get out of bed. Momo is probably hungry already." She said to herself. She got dressed, and went into the living room.

For some reason, I feel like explaining what Aireth's appearance is like. (Since she's just a character I've made up, I mean) She has long, dark hair tied back in a pink ribbon, and she's always walking around in a blue jacket, usually with a red T-shirt under it. White pants with the letters "Sakana" written in Japanese notes alongside the pants. (sakana means "fish" in Japanese) She's got big, brown eyes.

The living room was completely round, with a few triangle windows on the walls. Every glass in the windows was colored in red, yellow and green, so that when the sunshine shone through them, it was colored just like the glass in the windows. In the morning, the sun always shone through them, and everything in there was bathed in red, yellow and green light. Even though the room was built circulated, and might sound like a small little cottage, it was more than big enough for just one person who kept a dog. Aireth went over to the little carpet lying underneath one of the windows. "I thought so." She told her dog, Momo. "You're already expecting food, aren't you?" The little dog was sitting at the carpet, looking at her with an extremely expectant look on her face. That I-want-food-gaze which Aireth knew so well. She smiled, went over to Momo's food bowl opposite her carpet, and carried it over to the fridge a few meters from the door to the living room. She opened the fridge, and took out a pair of chicken wings. She laid them in Momo's food bowl, and put the bowl back to its original position." There. Come and get your breakfast, Momo!" She said. The dog trotted over to the chicken bones, sniffed them, and started eating them slowly. It looked as if she enjoyed every bit of it. Aireth laughed, and went into the kitchen to make her breakfast.

A few hours later, she went over to the entrance door, and was about to head out, when Momo came over to her. "No, we're not going on a trip now, Momo. I'm heading over to Aeris. You have to stay and guard the house." Aireth scratched Momo behind the ears, "See you. Be good now." She said. She closed the door behind her.

She went over to Aeris's house just across the street, and knocked on the door. Aeris was her best friend, and they were always together. In order to prevent mix-ups with their names, people in the village had started calling her Aeris instead. The path among the houses in the Cetra village; Himitsu Shiwere of pure white stone, and the houses were all built in the same fashion as Aireth's; they were all built as circulated caves, with triangle doors made out of the same white stone as the road. The stone in the village of Himitsu Shi were as light as if the roads and the doors were made out of wood, not white stone, so the villagers had no problem using these doors.


	2. Chapter 2: The story of the Cetra

**Chapter Two**

**The Story of The Cetra**

(I've added a few things to the Cetras' Powers in this story. In addition to their ability of speaking with the planet, I mean)

Now that I was on it, I might as well tell you a little bit about the people of Himitsu Shi. They are the last living descendants of a people who came to Earth thousands of years ago. They'd been traveling through the Universe in search for a land they called "The Promised Land"; a land which promised supreme happiness to all of its inhabitants.

This people love nature and live in perfect harmony with the planet they live on. When a Cetra is born, he or she is granted the ability of speaking with the planet, and all the animals living on it. By holding their hands in special gestures, they can speak telepathically to every animal on Earth. And along with that, the Cetra being born is born with magical Magical Powers. As a cetra gets older, their Magical Power grows, and by the age of twenty, a single Cetra is Magical Powerful enough to destroy Earth. That's why, while they're small, they learn how to control it by their villages Chief. A Cetra can hear the voices of their descendants, and by speaking with them, they can learn about the past, and seek counsel during times of hardships in life. By using this ability, the knowledge of their ancestors has been correctly passed down through generations, and not a single detail has been lost.

One of the teachings that has been passed down are the teachings of what happened while the Cetra were searching for the "Promised Land". Some of their own people decided they would abandon their duties and their people to lead an easier, more carefree life. A small group of Cetra decided they would leave their people, their families, their friends, and everything they'd held dear until then. These Cetra who left their people grew in numbers, and after awhile, they were so many they decided to give themselves a new name, and form a new race of Cetra.

They called themselves "The Cetra of Darkness"

and left their Cetra Clan. When the Cetra reached Earth, their Clan had been extremely reduced.

Another one of their teachings that have been passed down, are the Cetra's beliefs in the Supreme White Magic which they called "Holy". This is a Magical Power inside the planet which only a Cetra can call forth by speaking with the planet.

By speaking with "Holy", they can understand things which are going to happen in future when it comes to the life of their planet, and beings who would like to destroy it. The Cetra call forth the Magical Power of Holy if their planet is in danger from destruction.

A third one of the teachings that have been passed down are the teachings of the Lifestream, a flow of energy which is the source of all the life on this planet, and how every planet in the Universe is dependant on this energy to survive. About how all life that ends return to the lifestream, and lives forever as one with the planet.

The Cetra also have records of how Lifestream was being put to bad use during the war thousands of years ago. About how the Lifestream was being used to create Monsters to use against the Cetra.

And about how the Cetra themselves were infected with viruses which transformed them into Monsters. These monsters had no mind of their own, but were only taking orders from the ones who hated the Cetra, and wanted to destroy them and all they stood for. The one who was the big boss for the bad guys, was the first Cetra who started the rebellion against their search, and made all those thousands of Cetra desert their people while they were searching for the Promised Land. All the thousands of Cetra who'd deserted their people, joined their new leader, who ended up changing his name to Lucifer, The Lord of Darkness. He continued to manipulate his subordinates into hating the Cetra,

Ever since that war, which ended by how the few remaining Cetra, managed to seal Lucifer inside a gigantic Monster-producing reactor many miles away from their village, the Cetra has kept themselves hidden away from the rest of the world, in order to survive. They'd at last found a suitable place at Earth where they could live in peace and secrecy. They lived at a big island in the middle of the sea. the island was covered in ice and snow, and the Cetra had named it the Northespole, and regarded it more as home than they had ever felt about any place before. But their love for the planet has grown ever stronger since then. In order to prevent any of the thousands of the Monsters inside the reactor from breaking through and going on a rampage, the Cetra sealed it. Now, their beloved planet was free from evil…for some time. After the war, the Cetra stopped their searching for the "Promised land". They decided they would just try to protect this blue planet called "Earth", and all the life living on it.


	3. Chapter 3: Billy the monkey

**Chapter Three**

**Billy The MONKEY**

Now, let's return to the present. Aeris opened the door. "Hi, Aireth!" She said happily. Aireth smiled. She was overjoyed at seeing her best friend again, even thought they saw each other every day of the week. (Since I naturally assume that everyone at fanfiction who writes FF 7 fanfics has played ff 7, I won't describe Aeris' appearance) "Wanna get some milkshake or something?" She asked. "That'd be great!" Aireth replied. They went inside the house.

Aeris's house was almost exactly like her best friend's place. The only difference was that she kept a monkey in her house, instead of a dog. "How is Billy these days?" Aireth asked. Suddenly, they heard a weird, crashing sound which appeared to come from Aeris's bedroom, followed by "Squeek! Squaaak! Jahooooooo!" "He's the same as always." Aeris's said, trying not to burst into laughter over her "pet". "Is he still sleeping in your bedroom?" Aireth asked concerned.

"No, he's not. He is outside in the night. Hunting, and stuff."

"Oh. So that's why all the bananas from the vegetable store suddenly disappeared. Billy ate them." And then the girls couldn't stand it anymore. They burst out laughing so loudly that Billy came jumping out of Aeris' bedroom to check out the noise. "Even though I can prevent him from eating those bananas, I won't do it." Aeris said, looking fondly at her pet. "Where's the fun in having a well behaving monkey in the house?" It seemed like Billy agreed. He suddenly jumped unto Aeris, and started licking her face while making Tarzan-noises.

"Okay, OKAY! I get the point!" She said in a muffled voice. Billy jumped off her. "Now. (huff huff) let's get some milkshake."

"Hey, Aeris. How's it going with that flower collection of yours?" Aireth asked, sipping her milkshake. "It's going quite well, actually. I've finally found a place were it can be safe from Billy's appetite." They looked at the monkey. He was now jumping around on the floor, apparently playing tag with himself.

"I have absolutely no idea how it's possible to play tag with _yourself_!" Aeris laughed. "Why don't we just ask him? Have you forgotten we can talk to animals?" "Okay, I'll ask him." Aeris said. She held her hands so they made the Seal of the Monkey, "Hey, Billy?" She spoke to him telepathically. Billy answered by making Tarzan-noises, but this time, Aeris understood them. After awhile, she broke the connection between herself and Billy, by undoing the Seal her hands made. "He's saying that he does it by _imagining_ that he is chasing another monkey, nothing more." She said indifferently "Ooookay. Anyone could've told us that much." The girls burst out laughing again.

"By the way, Aireth? Do you wanna sleep over?" Aeris asked a few hours later. They were eating kisu sakana with sauce in Aeris' kitchen. "Yeah! That'd be great!" "You always get what most people would call overexcited whenever I propose something like this." Aeris said smiling. "I like being happy all the time, Aeris!" "I guess that's why we always have such a good time together." Aeris supposed.


	4. Chapter 4: The Flower Girls

**Chapter four**

**The Flower girls**

The next day, the two girls went out on the flower fields in the outskirts of the village. (This flower field is originally from Final Fantasy 8) Both of them had always loved flowers, and the sight it was to look at thousands of flowers in one, large field.

They ran over the fields, and suddenly, Aireth let herself fall to the ground, and roll around among all the flowers. Aeris joined her. They went rolling around on the ground for the next half an hour, laughing and screaming with happiness. They rolled around until around midnight, stopping only to catch their breath. They had now been rolling around in the flower field the whole day.

When midnight came, they went back to their houses to get some carpets and pillows so they could sleep in the flower field.

They lied down in the middle of all the flowers, looking up at the sky with the stars blinking back at them. "Hey, Aireth?" Aeris asked. "What's up?" "Tomorrow, its Monday, isn't it?" "It is. Why?"

"It means we'll be going to the temple tomorrow. The ceremony and all." "True. To celebrate the day when Cetra won the war. I was lost in thought about those stars up there. I was wondering how our people felt when they were searching for The Promised Land amongst them."

"Yeah. They'll be reading that story aloud tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it. That story is one of my favorites." Aeris said dreamily. "Which part do you like best?" "I like the part where they tell about how our Ancestors managed to find Earth and free it from Evil." Aeris said happily. "Yeah. That one's good. Most of them are extremely sad, though." Aireth said quietly.

A few minutes later, the two Cetra girls were lost in peaceful slumber among all the flowers.


	5. Chapter 5: Aireth's weird behaviour

**Chapter five**

**Aireth's weird behaviour**

Later the next day, the two girls got on their ceremony clothes. They were white cloaks, with hoods. On the back, was the Yin Yang symbol. A circle cut in half, with the right part black, with a little white in it, and the left part white, with a little black in it, to symbolize the negative, and the positive of mankind, and how there exist a little bit of Yin (negative) inside Yang (positive) and a little bit of Yang in Yin. The two girls went over to the Temple to celebrate.

When the Cetras went over to the Temple, they had to go around a small spring in order to reach the temple gates. Aireth looked at the clear water in the spring. Hers and Aeris' reflections smiling back at her. She felt indescribable happiness as she saw their reflections. They looked so happy together.

They reached the temple gates. A two-floored building stood before them. Like every other house and building in the village of the Cetra, it was built in a circulated form, and the stone were white, with no symbol on it, or religious signs of any kind.

Aireth scowled up at the temple, and clenched her fists. Suddenly, she'd stopped moving towards the doors. Aeris turned, and looked at her best friend. She looked as if something she was thinking about really made her angry. "What's up, Aireth?" Aeris asked. Suddenly, it looked as if her body returned to her senses. "What?" She asked,

"You suddenly got all quiet, and it looked as if you were thinking about something you resented." Aeris told her, looking concerned.

"Dunno what're talking about." Aireth replied. She stepped over the entrance of the temple. "I think I'll keep an eye on her." Aeris said to herself. She went after Aireth.

A few hours later, the temple was filled with laughter and celebrating Cetra. The room they were in, had no statues, or anything to decorate the room, apart from the colors the room was painted in. The ceiling was painted dark, with white dots all over to resemble the Universe. The floor was painted in green, brown, and red, as the Cetra saw Earth.

"Hey, Aireth. What's up?" Aeris came over to her with a pair of milkshakes in her hands, looking concerned again. "You've been all quiet all day….." "So? Am I not allowed to stay silent if I want to? Just shut up and leave me alone." Aireth said in a low voice. "Aireth, tell me what's wrong." "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The milkshakes Aeris carried fell to the floor and smashed as she dropped them.

She backed away, shocked. Suddenly, the entire hall had gone quiet.

Aireth looked around at the faces which, just for a few moments ago, had been celebrating happily. "I just don't understand you people." Aireth said quietly, but loudly enough for the Cetra to hear her.

"Why the hell do you keep doing this? It's just bullshit, celebrating something like this." "What do you want to say, Aireth?" The chief of their village said; an extremely fat man with a uniquely loud voice. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Aireth screamed again. And without as much as a glance at her best friend, she ran out of the temple.

She ran and ran, not knowing where. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from everything related to her people.

Suddenly she fell. Aireth lied there, with her face down, facing the flower field. "GODDAMN IT, I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE!"

She got up. Suddenly, her eyes changed. Those happy eyes she'd once had which had always been full of an indescribable happiness, were suddenly sort of dead-looking. The happy light which had danced in each of Aireth's eyes since she was born was almost gone. "I'm gonna break the Seal holding Lucifer locked inside that reactor. Finally I'll be able to break free from my people and all that Holy bullshit of theirs." She laughed at the thought of how she'd finally be free. And it wasn't the usual cheerful laughter that usually came from her. It was penetrating and sharp. She raised her hand, and released her Magical Power. For the first time in her life, she used it to destroy. All the flowers on the flower field died instantly, and a great shadow suddenly fell over it, instead of the sun that had always shone at the field. "AIRETH!" She turned around.

Aeris had caught up to her. She was carrying a long, white Combat Staff. "What are you doing?" "Aireth? Hmph. I no longer answer to that old name. "What are you saying?" "Quit asking me such things." Aireth snapped. "I have absolutely no interest in you or the Cetra anymore, Aeris." "What are you planning to do?"

"That's none of your business, Aeris. "Why did you become like this? Destroying the flower field. You used to love it!"

"Well, not anymore" Aireth said indifferently. "How can you ask me that, anyway? How do you know I've put the Cetra behind me?" Aireth asked suddenly. "What you just did to your favorite place of Himitsu Shi is not something you'd have done a few hours ago." Aeris said shaken. "Lately, I've done some thinking. I feel that this village and all of its traditions are hardly different from when the Cetra searched for The Promised Land, and Lucifer decided he would raise a rebellion against his people." "But we don't struggle anymore! We've stopped wandering! What is it that you think is so disturbing?"

"All those goddamn traditions and ceremonies. I feel that we don't have any freedom left. The Cetra has always been bound by such things, Aeris. I wish to break free from all this captivity.

I want the Cetra to be independent and free. I want to kill all these musty old traditions, and I'll kill every Cetra who tries to stop me. None of you has the right to tell me what to do or were to go."

"I won't let you do this, Aireth. It's for your own sake! I'll do anything to prevent you from becoming something like this, but don't force me to fight you. Don't make me kill you." Aeris pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "What does it matter to you what I become?

"I don't want to see you become another Lucifer, Aireth."

"I'll say this one more time. Leave me alone. And don't try to make me change my mind. If you do, I'll kill you." She raised her hand. Aeris could see how sparks of fire erupted from them. "Leave now." Aireth said in a low and dangerous voice.

Aeris put down her Staff. "If I'm gonna fight you, I want it to be fair." She said. The tears continued to pour from her eyes.

"Then, so be it." Aireth said, her eyes grew colder


	6. Chapter 6: Aireth VS Aeris

**Chapter Six**

**Aireth VS Aeris**

Fire erupted from Aireth's hands, and came rushing towards Aeris.

She raised her hands, and conjured a shield to block it. The fire died out as it made contact with the shield. Aeris raised her hands once more. A bolt of lightning was sent from them. Her opponent countered with the same kind of attack. They sent bolt after bolt of lightning at each other, and every time the bolts made contact, the ground shook terribly.

Aeris changed her attack Magical Power from lightning to fire. And a rain of fireballs suddenly charged down on her former friend. Aireth was struck by the flames. Aeris lowered her hands, and waited.

At first, the place were Aireth was standing was covered in dark smoke. But then the smoke cleared, and Aireth was lying on the ground, with burns all over her, and her cloak was on fire. "Hear me, Oh Holy! Calm the rage of these flames, and save a life on this planet." Suddenly, the sky opened, and a flow of water was rushing towards her. They covered her, and extinguished the flames, as she'd asked them to. She got up, soaking wet, but all the flames were gone.

"See, Aeris? Holy still answers me." "That doesn't change anything. You're not the same, Aireth!" Aeris said. "I'll do whatever I want. The Aireth you once knew is no more." She raised her hands, and threw a sound spell at Aeris.

(I know. Such a spell doesn't exist in FF 7. I just made it up)

Suddenly, a ferocious pain shot through Aeris' ears, and blood came out. She screamed out in pain, and fell to the ground. "The vibrations of sound control the sound on this planet. If I use my Magical Power right, I can increase the vibrations of sound so much that the human ear can't handle it, destroying your ears, and your ability to hear, if I'd wanted to." She watched Aeris lie there, twitching and screaming in agony, still clutching her ears. Aireth lowered her hands, and the pain in Aeris' ears stopped.

She raised her head, shaking uncontrollably from the sound.

"My childish games with you Cetra are over. Leave me alone." Aireth said coldly. "I don't want to kill you either, Aeris. But if you try to stop me again, I will."

Aireth left her, and the rest of the Cetra of Himitsu Shi. She went over to a stable near the shore of the island, and took the eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, and began her journey towards the Darkness. (The Materia "Odin" calls forth that Odin-guy who rides on Sleipnir. That's where I've got it from)

Aeris was still lying there. Her body had stopped shaking, but she now had a terrible headache that nearly paralyzed her.

She tried to get up, but her head hurt so bad she couldn't stand.

"She's here! Everyone, quick!" She could hear voices coming from somewhere far away. It was as if the people speaking were standing at a mountain many miles away, and speaking to her, making only the echo of what they said reach her. Suddenly, she felt an arm around her wrist, and someone who pulled her to her feet. "Easy, Aeris. You've been through hell." "Ageha?" "Don't talk right now. Just relax."

Aeris could only see through a kind of mist due to the pain in her head. She bent over, and vomited. "Get her to the House of Healing immediately." Someone said. Aeris felt how many people lifted her off the ground, and carried her back towards the village.


	7. Chapter 7: The village near the mountain

**Chapter Seven.**

**The Village near the Mountain.**

Aireth rode the horse Sleipnir for miles, and miles, riding across the sky to cross the ocean. She rode across plains, forests, mountains and landscapes she'd never seen before. She didn't know were the Cetra had sealed Lucifer, she just followed her instincts.

After six days of riding, she saw a mountain towering in front of her.

Beside the mountain, was a small village. "Didn't expect to find a village here." She rode over to the village. When she reached the gates, she saw that the village looked completely deserted. Strange. It doesn't look like it's been uninhabited for long." She got off Sleipnir, and started exploring the village. "Aeris told me about how she and some other Cetra had restored a village near a mountain. Could this be the place?" She said to herself. "HELLOOOOO!" She called.

A door in one of the houses opened, and a girl came out.

She had long, dark hair, and she was dressed in a white jumper, and a black shorts. They looked at each other for a moment, and then the girl broke the silence stretching between them. "Hi. Who are you?"

Aireth stood there for a moment. She recognized the girl at once.

"You are one of the three people who visited my village three month's ago!" She burst out. "Am I? And what village are you talking about? The Cetra Village of Himitsu Shi? Are you one of them, or something?" "Yeah! And you managed to get Sephiroth to our village, and made a gigantic mess of things, didn't you?" "Me, Cloud and Zack came to your village three months ago, yeah. And we _did _manage to lure Sephiroth to Himitsu. Is that why you've come here? To punish us, or something?" There was a short pause.

The girl didn't look concerned or anything. She was just waiting for Aireth to speak. "No. I have no interest in you or the Cetra anymore. I've put them behind me. What's your name, anyway? You didn't tell me that last time we met. "Aeris didn't tell you?" The girl asked.

"No." "My name is Tifa Locheart. I'm a village girl of Nibelheim. She waved her hand around at the houses. "So that was it. I was told this village was burnt down, and all the villagers slaughtered."

"It was. I and my friends are the only survivors. Your people helped us rebuild it, but all the other houses are empty, the only house still inhabited is mine." "Where are Cloud and Zack?"

"Why do you ask? And why should I tell you?"

"Why don't you want to tell me?" "That look in your eyes. I don't like it. None of the other Cetra had such eyes. "I told you, Tifa. I've put them behind me. But this conversation is not why I came here. Is there a reactor near here?" "Why don't you proceed up the mountains and see for yourself?" Tifa suggested coldly. Aireth turned, and went back to the gates, were Sleipnir stood waiting. She galloped past Tifa, and went up the mountains. " Tifa went back inside the house, slamming the door behind her.

Aireth rode up the mountain path. The mountain was the less welcome landscape she'd seen so far. There was no vegetation of any kind along the road. No trees, bushes or anything to calm the darkness in her soul. The sun couldn't reach the mountain path due to the thick mist the whole mountain was enshrouded in.

She rode Sleipner for a half an hour, and finally reached a badly built bridge. "I'll have to abandon Sleipnir here, and continue alone." She got off the eight-legged horse. She stepped in front of him, and made the Seal of the Horse, so she could speak to him telepathically, and closed her eyes.

"I have nothing against you, Sleipnir. You're free now. You can either wait for me to return, or choose your own path. It's your choice.

Good-bye." Aireth undid the Seal her hands made, opened her eyes, and kissed the horse on his "nose", and walked across the bridge. She could hear the horse howling behind her.

Even though Aireth had come to hate the Cetra, she still loved animals and the rest of the planet. The light in her eyes hadn't disappeared entirely, after all.


	8. Chapter 8:The sealed reactor

**Chapter Eight**

**The Sealed Reactor**

Aireth continued to walk through the unchangeable landscape.

There was still no sign of life of any kind. Everything was just dark and empty. "Could it really be in this deserted place?" She wondered. But she didn't stop. "I've got to find you."

Then, after several long minutes of walking, she saw a large building in front of her. The building was even larger than the temple in her village. "If this is not the place, then……." She walked up to the entrance door; a large, double-door painted all in black, with the words "Reactor of Sealing" written on it in Japanese letters.

"I've found you at last, Lord of Darkness." Aireth whispered. A twisted smile spread across her face by the very thought of it.

She tried to open the doors. An electric surge shot through her as she touched them. She screamed out in pain, and was thrown backwards by the force. "A barrier, eh. Fine, I'll break it." Aireth backed away, and sent a fire-spell at the double doors with her hand. Nothing happened. "This is starting to _annoy _me!" She mumbled frustrated.

She stepped away from the door. Held her right hand towards it, and said in a commanding voice: "The Cetra are the masters of this Seal. Hear my command: _open_!" The two doors were suddenly engulfed in intense light, and when the doors were visible, again, it wasn't possible to see that any changes had been made to it. Aireth lowered her hand, and went over to the doors. She pushed them open. The Seal which had held Lucifer trapped inside the reactor was finally broken. Aireth went inside.


	9. Chapter 9: Toomy Hermanius

**Chapter Nine**

**Toomy Hermanius, **

**the Chief of the Cetra**

Aeris woke up in the House of Healing. She opened her eyes. She was lying with her face up towards the white ceiling.

She yawned. Her head had stopped hurting. "Aeris?" Ageha come over to her. She was a tall girl with long, blonde hair tied back in a blue ribbon. She had big, dark, sad blue eyes. At least they looked sad at the moment. "Ageha." Aeris replied, and sat up.

"Feeling better, now?" Ageha asked, looking concerned.

"Much better, thanks." A silence stretched between them for a few moments. "Ageha. Does anyone know were Aireth went?"

"No idea. She didn't tell you anything, did she?" "Not a single one of my questions were answered." Aeris answered bitterly.

A great sadness filled Ageha's face. "She has turned, hasn't she? The whole village knows what she did to the flower field.

The whole village's talking about it. And the Chief of Himitsu says he has something to say to every Cetra of the Village."

"How'd you know that?" Aeris asked "I overheard them talking in the Temple." Ageha replied. "Did he talk extremely loudly, since you managed to overhear him?" "Well. You know how _loudly _that man talks. Perhaps it has something to do with his size. Aeris said thoughtfully.

A few hours later, the whole village sat in the Temple, awaiting their chief to start speaking. Toomy Hermaansiuus waited a few seconds before he opened his mouth to speak. "Yesterday, one of our people left our Village." He began. "I'm sure you all know by now who it is, and what she's done. So I won't talk about that here. I'll jump straight to what we're going to do about the situation. None of us know were Aireth has gone, or what she's up to." He paused, looking around at his people. "Is that what this meeting is about? Is he gonna –" "Aeris! There shall not be any kind of disturbance while I'm talking! You must resist the temptation of turning your head sixty degrees, and talking to the person sitting beside you!

Why can't I get everyone's full attention!" Toomy Hermaansiuus said in his enormously loud voice. "Once you've entered this Temple, and I am about to start TALKING, then you are not allowed to keep talking to each other like that! Has your minds grasped that now!" "Yeah, yeah. We read ya, BIG BOSS." Aeris mumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear her, and the whole room burst into laughter. Toomy Hermaaniuus waited a few seconds before he continued to roar.

Two hours later, Toomy Hermaaniuus came trotting back into the assembling room. "I've spoken to Holy, and it has told me what we need to know." Toomy Hermaaniuus paused again. "Aireth is about to unlock the Seal on the reactor holding our ancient enemy Lucifer locked away, keeping our Earth out of reach from his grasp of Darkness." Toomy Hermaaniuus roared unaware. He paused, looking down upon the thunderstruck Cetra sitting in front of him. Several people gasped in horror, other people (Aeris among them) just sat there, looking anxious for what would happen to her best friend.

"We don't want this to happen, and we're going to do anything we can to prevent this incident to occur. We'll send our Fighting Squad; The Valkyries to combat this traitor to our people. You'll be allowed to resort to anything to achieve our goal. Aireth managed to find the Reactor of Sealing, even though she's never been there before. And when she can find it, so can the Valkyries. I'll expect you to be ready in 30 minutes. This meeting is hereby adjured!" He stomped on the floor three times, since he did not have a hammer, and the sound thundered through the room. The Cetra went out of the Temple.


	10. Chapter 10: Aeris' determination

**Chapter Ten**

**Aeris' determination**

Aeris sat in the living room at her house with her face in her hands, crying so much that her body shook. She looked up from her lap, and screamed to get her feelings out. The glass in her windows broke by the sound waves, and Billy came jumping inside the room, with a banana halfway into his mouth, looking worried. Aeris stopped screaming. She wiped her eyes with her hands, and raised her hand. She used her Magical Power to repair the windows. "I can't let them kill Aireth. She can still be saved. I won't let her resurrect Lucifer, and I won't allow anyone to kill her. I'll bring her back, somehow." She thought.

She got up, went into her room, got her Combat Staff, and went out of the entrance door.

She was out on the street. She looked around. All around her, every Cetra in the village was standing in groups of three and four, and discussing what had happened in whispering conversation. Ageha came over to Aeris, looking at her long, white Staff. "Are you going to go after Aireth?" She asked. Aeris nodded, without saying anything. Suddenly, they heard the sound of galloping hooves thundering towards them. They turned around. Sleipnir the eight-legged horse soared towards them.

"Sleipnir? Where've you been?" Aeris asked in surprise, and walked over to him. She made the Seal of the Horse with her hands, closed her eyes, and communicated with him telepathically. "Has Aireth achieved her objective?" Sleipnir made horse-like noises: "I don't know, Lady Aireth left me before she reached her destination." "Can you tell me where the Reactor of Sealing is?" "I know the road when I walk it, but I cannot describe it." The horse replied. "But I can take you there, under one condition."

"What conditions?" Aireth asked. "You must promise me that you won't let any harm come to Lady Aireth in any way." "That's why I want to go there! To prevent the Valkyries from killing her!" Aireth replied stunned. She thought he would ask for something entirely different, though, now that she thought about it, she had no idea what it would've been. "Then we have a deal, Lady Aeris." Sleipnir declared. "Get on. I'll take you to her." Aeris got on the horse's back, and looked around at the astounded Cetra standing around her. "Lead the way, Sleipnir." She said calmly. The horse thundered away,


	11. Chapter 11: Lucifer The Lord of Darkness

**Chapter Eleven**

**Lucifer The Lord of Darkness**

Aireth looked around. She stood in a large room with tanks on along the walls. A staircase lead up to a door painted in red. Over the door

was the words "Lucifer" (originally Jenova. I haven't forgotten, folks!) written in Japanese letters. She went over to one of the tanks, and looked inside. Inside of it, was one of the many puppets which had been created for the war thousands of years ago. Aireth walked over to the door marked "Lucifer", and opened it.

Aireth had reached the room where Lucifer was. She looked up at a gigantic tank a few steps away from her. Inside the tank, was a creature which seemed to have a human form.

She gulped nervously. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't deny that she found it scary to stand in front of the Cetra who'd raged a war against her people. She raised her hand, and threw a lightning bolt at the tank, and the glass cracked. The Cetra inside the broken tank opened his eyes. He pushed away the remnants of the tank, and got out of it. At first, he didn't look at Aireth. He examined his own body. Aireth could see now what the dark thoughts that had haunted Lucifer for so many years had done to him. His skin was not what Aireth would have called "ordinary". There were scars all over his body, for what Aireth could see. His eyes were big, like hers, but instead of brown, they were poisonous green. They flared, as they made contact with Aireth's, and she quickly dropped her gaze to the floor, and didn't dare to look into the lord's face. "Who are you?" The Lord of Darkness, Lucifer spoke for the first time in thousands of years. It was naught but a hoarse whisper, due to the fact that he hadn't used it for so many centuries. "Aireth opened her mouth to speak, still not daring to meet his eyes, but no words came out. She was so terrified she couldn't speak. "Are you a Cetra?" Lucifer asked. Still, Aireth didn't say anything, but nodded, looking down at the floor.

"And you still released me?" Aireth nodded again. Her body was starting to shake with fright. Lucifer didn't seem to take any notice of this. "What's your purpose for breaking the Seal?" "I wanted….." Aireth mumbled, but she couldn't finish the sentence. "What?" Lucifer asked, in his hoarse whisper. "I wanted to break free from my people." Aireth said. Her legs shaking so badly she fell on her knees, and she was so terrified she couldn't get up again. "And for that, you undid the Seal on this Reactor?" Aireth nodded. "This sounds like something I would've done thousands of years ago." Lucifer said quietly.

"I never thought there would be another Cetra rebellion after the war ended." Lucifer said. "What's your name, girl?"

"A-Aireth." Aireth replied, her body still shaking. There was something about him that made her terrified.

Some kind of aura around him that prevented Aireth from not feeling endless despair while in his presence.

"If I remember correctly, my closest Shimobe shared your name, but she died at the hands of Kami-Sama, the previous Cetra Chief." He said. (Since Lucifer had been sealed inside that reactor for so many centuries, it felt to him as if only a moment had passed since he was sealed away so long ago. so to him, it was as if it had only been yesterday since he'd killed Kami-Sama, and was sealed away inside the reactor) It seemed like he was speaking more to himself than anyone else.

"Is something the matter, Aireth? Your body is shaking." Lucifer said suddenly. He raised his hand, and Aireth's shaking stopped, but she felt even more terrified than before, which, of course, was the Lord's purpose. She still did not dare to face him.

"Aireth. You have Lucifer's gratitude for releasing him. He is proud of you for proving your loyalty towards him and his ideals." Lucifer declared. "Rise, Lady Aireth." She quickly and obediently got to her feet. "The Cetra of Darkness has risen again!" Lord Lucifer raised his arms, and laughed. A cold, hoarse and horrible laughter far more terrible than the one Aireth managed. Cold shivers ran down her back as she heard it. She closed her eyes, and tried to imagine her people's village, her house, and her pet, Momo, the flower field, which she had destroyed, Aeris's happy face back then when they were together, before their friendship collapsed. (At least that's what it felt like) But she could not do it. Not with The Lord of Darkness' pitiless laughter ringing in her ears.

"Aeris. Help me." She thought pleadingly, but no one heard her call.

"Come, Aireth. Let's resurrect the Darkness!" Lucifer said. He went out of the room. She followed him, too terrified to do anything else.

Lucifer stopped in the middle of the room, with all the tanks around him. "Hear me, Spawn of Darkness! Your master summons you!" He said in a commanding voice, the same voice Aireth had used when she undid the Seal on the reactor, but far more Magical Powerful (and far more hoarse than hers). All the tanks opened, and the puppets inside of them came back to life.

Lucifer looked over at Aireth again. "Now I'll show you the true nature of the Cetra, Lady Aireth!" He declared. "By showing you how I'll create a new world for the Cetra to live in, you'll learn how the Cetra are supposed to live and think." She nodded, not able to speak, as she watched how all the Monsters walked purposelessly around the room. "What have I done!" She thought. "Aeris. Wo negai forgive me."

"Now, Lady Aireth. It's time for your first assignment from your new master." Lucifer said. Aireth jumped, and looked at him.

"Don't tell me I have to do _more_ evil bullshit." She thought.


	12. Chapter 12: Aeris visits Nibelheim

**Chapter Twelve**

**Aeris visits Nibelheim**

Sleipnir led Aeris along the path he'd traveled with her best friend. For three whole days and two whole nights, they traveled, stopping only for food and rest.

On the second day of their journey, during a pause, Aireth asked sleipnir something. She made the Seal of the Horse, and spoke to him.

"Sleipnir. Did Aireth tell you anything about what she was so upset about during your journey together?" "She didn't talk to me about anything. But during the whole journey, while she sat on my back, I could feel her endless love for me and all animals on this planet."

"She still loves Earth?" Aeris asked quietly, smiling. "I have no doubt about it." Sleipnir replied assured. Aireth undid the Seal her hands made, and looked up at the sky. The stars were sparkling magnificently up there. "Aireth. You're still the same person I've always known, then." Aeris thought.

On the third day of their journey, they saw a mountain towering above them. On the foot of the mountain, was a small village.

"Nibelheim!" Aeris said surprised, and Sealed her hands again. "I didn't realize you'd taken me along the path to this village, Sleipnir."

"I'm just taking the same route I led your friend along." The eight-legged horse replied. They reached the gate to the village, and Aeris got off Sleipnir's back. She went over to the gates. She looked around at the houses she and some other Cetra had rebuilt three months ago.

She walked over to the house the girl named Tifa lived in, and knocked on the door. After awhile, the door opened, and the Tifa stood there. "Aeris!" She said surprised. Aeris smiled at the sight of her friend. "Hi, Tifa. How's life nowdays?" "It's a little too quiet with just me Cloud and Zack here, but it's alright. Wanna come inside?"

"Sure." Tifa stepped inside the house so Aeris could come inside.

They were standing inside a big living room totally different from the houses in Himitsu Shi. The house wasn't round, like the houses of the Cetra village. Most of the tables and chairs were of black and dark wood, most of it looking new, due to the fact it had all been restored three month's ago. Opposite of the entrance door, a little to the right, was a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor.

"It sure looks like you're having a nice time in this village." Aeris said, looking around. "Yeah. It's really good. Cloud! Zack! Aeris's here!" Tifa called happily. They heard the sound of four feet scrambling across the second floor, and saw two boys descend the stairs as fast as they could. Suddenly, Zack stumbled, and Cloud fell over him. Both of them rolled as fast as they could down the stairs, looking as if they were both trying to reach Aeris first. (I won't describe their appearances, since you've all played FF 7)

"I'm first, chicken! I have say "hi" first!" Zack said in a muffled voice, due to the fact that he was from time to time, pressing his face towards the stairs. "No, you're not, you dumbhead!" Cloud said in the same muffled voice. Both of the extremely rowdy boys reached the floor first. Aeris laughed for the first time in days. Tifa and Aeris both fell to the floor as they laughed. The whole house got filled with laughter as the boys joined in.

A half an hour later, they were sitting around the table in the living room, talking. "By the way, Aeris." Tifa said after awhile.

"A girl came by here about a week ago. She claimed to be of your people, and she had this weird look in her eyes." "Aireth!" Aeris burst out. "Probably. She didn't tell me her name, though she asked for mine. She said that she'd "put the Cetra behind her".

"That sounds like Aireth. Did she say anything else?" "Not anything important." Tifa replied. "Where is she now?" Aeris asked.

"Don't know. She proceeded up towards the mountains, so I'd guess she's up there somewhere." Aeris got up. "Sorry guys, I've got to find her." "We get you, Aeris." Cloud said. "Anything we can do to help?" Zack asked. "You've done enough for the Cetra. I don't want to drag you into something like this, even though I don't know how serious it is. I know my best friend is up to something bad, and I'm the only one who can save her. The Cetra swore they'll kill Aireth if they find her." Aeris said anxiously. Tifa nodded. Aeris left Nibelheim.


	13. Chapter 13: Aeris goes berserk

**Chapter thirteen**

**Aeris goes berserk**

Aeris was back on Sleipnir, and they were thundering up the mountain path. While they rode, Sleipnir felt the same love and care for the planet from Aeris, as he'd felt when traveling with her best friend. "They still have thousands of things in common." He thought.

He increased the speed. Aeris felt how his hooves galloped faster; she heard the rushing of the wind as it soared past them. "So this is what Aireth experienced while traveling up this mountain path." She said to herself. That terribly sad landscape, completely without vegetation, or anything to lighten Aeris's anxious heart was just too depressing for a Cetra like her. She closed her eyes, so she wouldn't have to see it. "I hope I'm not too late." She thought anxiously.

After a few more hours with her eyes shut, Aeris felt that the galloping had stopped. She opened her eyes. A very badly built bridge hung before them. "Is this were Aireth had to leave you?" She asked, sealing her hands with the Horse seal. "Yes. Lady Aireth told me had to leave me, and that I could either choose to wait for her, or do as I wanted, and be free. I decided to come back to the village of Himitsu Shi." Sleipnir told her. "She really loves the planet. I feel certain of that now." Aeris said. "I'm going to have to leave you here, too, Sleipnir." "I know, Lady Aeris. Go find your best friend, and save her. I know you can do it, since the bond between you is so strong."

Aeris undid the Seal of the Horse, and got off Sleipnir. She turned, and kissed him on the "nose". She turned, and crossed the bridge.

Aeris continued to walk along the path which she hoped would lead her to her best friend. After walking for about a half an hour, she saw a gigantic building towering over her. She saw the words "Reactor of Sealing" written in Japanese writings over the entrance door, two doors forming the entrance to the reactor, which was closed. She went over to the double-doors, and tried to open them. There was no Seal on the entrance this time. Aeris pushed the doors open. The room was empty. All the tanks which had contained the Monsters were open, and the door to Lucifer's chamber wasn't closed, as it had been when Aireth had come there. "Aireth……" Aeris whispered, tears starting pouring from her eyes. "So I was too late. You accomplished your objective, didn't you?" The tears wouldn't stop. Aeris stood there, crying silently over what had just happened, and over her disappointment of not finding her best friend. The tears fell to the floor in streams, and Aeris made no attempt at stopping them. She fell to the floor, unable to bear the sorrow swelling up inside of her. "Is this what you wanted? No. I don't believe that. Not after Sleipnir told me that you still love this planet."

Aeris whispered, in the hope that her best friend would give her any sort of reply. But no one answered her call. Just like when Aireth tried to make the Cetra hear her when she'd released The Lord of Darkness.

"Now. Am I just supposed to let the Valkyries kill you? Is there nothing I can do to help? Aireth…….wo negai, answer me." Aeris whispered, but no one did. Aeris slammed her head against the floor in mental agony over everything that had happened since her best friend had yelled at her in the temple. Gradually, all the sorrow in her heart changed to hate against The Lord of Darkness. She got up. Her eyes flared red over what Lucifer had done to her best friend. Aeris ran out of the reactor, a terrible hate swelling up inside her.

She was outside, facing the reactor with her hands raised. She released her Magical Power. For the first time in her life, she used it to destroy. The Reactor of Sealing fell apart, and the mountain cracked with a loud and terrible sound. Aeris lost her temper, and went berserk with her Magical Power. The mountain started to come down from the force she released. She lost control, and the entire mountain came rushing towards her. She realized just a second too late that she would get crushed by all the falling rocks. She released all her Magical Power. All the Magical Power she now released worked as a shield protecting her from all the falling rocks. She could hear the extreme sound of gigantic rolling rocks around her as she struggled to keep the protection up.

After a few tiring minutes, the rocks stopped falling around her. Aeris let her arms drop. Unable to stay conscious any longer, she fainted.


	14. Chapter 14: Aireth's long journey

**Chapter fourtheen**

**Aireth's long journey**

"Now. Listen carefully, Lady Aireth." Lucifer said in his hoarse whispering voice. They were still inside the reactor, with all the Monsters walking as purposelessly as ever around the room. "Here's your assignment. You're to go to your people's village. Inside the Temple in there, there is a secret chamber. (At least there used to be, thousands of years ago) Inside this chamber, is a magical weapon used to call upon Bahamut the Dragon King. He was Sealed inside it when Kami-Sama regarded him for too dangerous for the Cetra. I want you to go and fetch it for me. That's my first assignment. Now go. And don't return without it. I'll be waiting for you with my army at the Goblin Island far from here. You'll understand where it's located when it's time." Aireth stood still for a moment, trying to take in what Lucifer had just told her to do. She nodded. She hadn't said anything since they entered the tank room. "You who hate your people as I do should understand what a great asset Bahamut will be for The Cetra of Darkness to accomplish its objective. Now go. Fulfill your first assignment as a shimobe of Lucifer!" The Lord of Darkness said, and laughed his unbearable laughter again. (Just so you know; "Shimobe" is the Japanese word for "servant") Unable to resist being around him any longer, Aireth hurried out of the Reactor. She ran along the stone path, over the bridge, through the village were Tifa, Zack and Cloud lived. She didn't stop before she was standing outside of the gates of the village. She breathed heavily, holding her chest.

She couldn't believe what The Lord of Darkness had just asked her to do. For the hundredth time that day, she wished whole-heartedly that she had never broken the Seal. But still, now that she was away from Lucifer, she knew that it wouldn't feel right to refuse to accomplish the mission. She remembered how she had felt about the Cetra, their ideologies, their traditions and everything related to them apart from the planet. She still wanted Earth to be a place where everyone could live in peace, without such obstacles as ancient teachings and traditions in the way. She felt that the only way this could be achieved, was by joining forces with The Lord of Darkness. The only Cetra who had determination to do such a thing as creating such a world.

"I must do it. For the sake of the planet and every living creature who lives on it. I must accomplish his mission." She thought.

She looked up at the sky. The sun was about to retreat behind the mountaintops. "My people. Someday you will understand and appreciate my actions today. And you too, Aeris." Aireth whispered self-assuring. She began the long journey back to Himitsu Shi, trying not to think about what it would be like to _walk _all those thousands of miles back to her village.

Three days later, Aireth had reached a swamp in grasslands many miles away from the Reactor of Sealing. She observed the swamp, and suddenly became aware of the shadow of a long, snake-like figure swimming around in it. Suddenly, the gigantic creature rose from the swamp and Aireth saw what it was. She was staring at a gigantic snake. It made hissing noises when its tongue stuck out of its gigantic mouth. "I haven't used my Magical Powers in days. I could do with some practice." Aireth thought. She walked straight into the swamp, and proceeded towards the snake. The snake hissed worse than ever as it caught sight of the little figure approaching it.

The snake struck at Aireth, its gap opened wide, showing long, sharp teeth at the size of gigantic scissors and she raised her hands, blocking the attack from the snake. "Hear me, Spirits of the Universe! Remove this obstacle, and clear my path!" She called. Suddenly, a huge meteor came rushing towards the snake and Aireth. Aireth heard the sound of it approaching. It sounded like when a New-Year-rocket is being sent up just before it explodes. Only that the sound was much more intense.

The meteor hit the gigantic snake, and for a while, the grassland was filled with smoke from the meteor, and the swamp had turned into a huge crater. Aireth coughed, trying to see through the thick layers of smoke. "I told you I needed training." She told the remains of the snake. It was lying in front of her, its blood was everywhere, and its eyes bulged out of the eyeholes, looking as if they may fall out any minute. "That protective shield I put around my body in the last moment sure was helpful." She climbed out of the crater, and looked around at the grassland. The whole grass field was destroyed. All the grass had turned into burned things lying everywhere. Nothing would be able to grow there for many decades. "Perhaps I overdid it a little bit. Aw, well. Not much to do about it now, anyway." Aireth said lightly. She continued her journey back to Himitsu Shi.

A few days later, (with only what she could find in the nature for eating) she saw a in the distance, a beach. Behind it, she could see how the sea glittered in the sunlight All over the beach; small dots which looked like people were moving. "Perhaps I can find any way to cross the ocean and get back to Himitsu that way." She thought, moving towards the beach.

Now that she was so close to a place with people, she finally noticed how hungry she was. The little she had found to eat on her way had not quenched her hunger. She finally noticed how her body screamed from exhaustion for every step she took. She became aware of something else as well: she was feeling sick from the lack of proper food. "I never thought it would come to this." She thought, slowly approaching the beach.

Hours later, she finally reached the beach. She was breathing heavily, with the feeling of sickness almost overwhelming. The people on the beach started to notice her. They looked at her. Her clothing; the white Cetra cloak with the Yin Yang symbol on the back, and her the dim, brown color in her eyes. People backed away as they saw her. Aireth's eyes always scared people these days. And the way she had used her Magical Powers since she left her village, had changed her. All of this did other people who saw her become aware of. "Is there any place where I can get some food?" They were not able to speak, but just pointed at one of the small shops. "Thanks." She went over to it.

At the small shop, she saw a man standing behind a desk.

She noticed that people gave him small silver coins, and that they were given what people apparently called "food" in exchange.

"Interesting. They're doing things differently in this country than in my village." She thought. "And I can't say that I've got any coins like that." Aireth thought for a moment. Then went away from the shop, away from all the people to a corner of the beach where she wouldn't be noticed. She folded her hands and looked up at the sky.

"There's a wanderer here, unable to get what she needs to survive. Hear my voice, and give her what she needs in the form of small silver coins." Suddenly, she heard a clinging sound; the sound of small coins which fell on the ground. But she couldn't see where the sound came from, or see any small silver coins which rained down to her. Then she felt something heavy in the pockets of her pants. She ran her hands along them.

She put her hands down in her pockets, and felt many small coins against her hands. "There. Now I can get food." She said happily. She went back to the shop, and got herself a bottle with black liquid inside it. Inside the bottle, there were bubbles zooming upwards. "The shop keeper called it a "coke", whatever that is." For eating, she got something which looked like a very big meat ball, with sauce. The meat ball had bread on it. "The shop keeper called it a hamburger, whatever that is." Aireth buried her teeth in it hungrily.

She'd never eaten anything like it before, but she enjoyed it immensely. She was careful not to eat everything at once, but took small bites. Halfway through the big meatball, she opened the bottle called a "coke", and drank some of it. The taste of the coke, and feeling of all those bubbles in her mouth, was a big surprise to Aireth.

She swallowed it fast, due to the surprise over how it felt, and stared at the bottle. "Wow. What the heck _is _that?" She thought astonished. "This is getting more interesting than I thought. She drank more of it.

Suddenly, she heard a burp from her mouth. She held her hand towards her mouth, and looked at the bottle. "Why does not the shop keeper warn his customers that burps come out of their mouths if they drink cokes?" She thought interested. "This journey is really getting fun!"

Suddenly, a certain part of Aireth had returned to her: the happy, cheerful side of her which she'd always had before. She ate the rest of the hamburger, and drank the rest of that weird drink called a coke. (To her disappointment, no more burps came out.

After eating, Aireth started asking people if there was any ship that was going "out to sea" as she put it. No one really understood what she was talking about. They just shook their heads, and walked away, trying not to meet her eyes. She tried finding out how the heck she would get back to her village for about three more hours, until all the shops closed, and people started leaving the beach, as the sun were fading away. "Don't tell me am gonna have to _swim _all the way home!" Aireth moaned, sitting in the sand with her feet in the sea.

"This is getting annoying!" She lied back on the beach, looking up at the sky. It was getting quiet late, and stars were starting to appear up there. "I wonder what Aeris is doing now. And all the rest of my village. Wonder if I'll be able to accomplish the mission Lucifer gave me. Aw, well. It'll work out. I'll get Bahamut somehow."

And with that, she fell asleep on the beach, dreaming dreams of Aeris standing in darkness calling out to her with her arms outstretched, begging her to fulfill Lucifer's assignment to her.

Aireth woke up so early the next day that she could see shrouds of mist on the ground. "Is it that early in the morning?" She rubbed her eyelids. Suddenly, she saw something on two legs running towards her. The thing glittered like gold, and as it came closer, Aireth could make out the shape of it. it was a two-legged, golden bird. Its feathers glittering in the morning mist, and the chicken-beak-formed beak was glowing with the same golden color like the rest of the bird. It was running purposefully towards her, its clawed, three-toed feet touching the water with a splash, but without sinking through. The bird was actually running on water. "A _golden chocobo_!" Aireth gasped astonished. "I remember seeing one in my village, but I never thought it would escape like that." She watched it as it came ever closer.

The golden bird called a "Chocobo" reached the shore, and Aireth went over to it. She Sealed her hands, so they formed the Seal of the Bird, so she could speak to the Chocobo telepathically. "Are you from the Cetra village of Himitsu Shi on the Northespole?" She asked.

The Chocobo made squawking noises, but Aireth understood them perfectly. "Yes". The bird replied. "I see. Why did you escape from it, anyway?" "I did not like being held what I felt as captive in there. I wanted to be a free Chocobo." Aireth's whole body shook at these words. She never thought that any animal could feel it as captivity to live at the Northespole. Her resent for certain things about her people deepened at these words. "Where are you going now?" She asked.

"To a place where I can be free." The Chocobo answered.

Aireth thought for a moment. Then thought: "If you promise to take me back to the Northespole, but not so close that you are seen, I'll show you a place where you can be free." She said, though she had no idea that she could show the Chocobo a place where he could live in peace, which he couldn't find on his own. "I will." The Chocobo replied. Chocobos were easier to negotiate with than wise, eight-legged horses. "Hop on." Aireth got on the bird's back. Its soft feathers felt soft and warm against her skin as she touched them.

The Chocobo ran back to the Cetra village. While it ran, it could feel Aireth's love for him and the planet, just like Sleipnir.

Aireth looked around her as they ran on the water. The water splashed around her legs, but she didn't mind. "Aeris. I'll prove to you that I just want what's best for the planet." She thought.

Aireth and the Chocobo ran along the ocean, the Chocobo's feet splashed on the water, but they didn't sink through the surface.

Aireth put her head against the Chocobo's back. The feathers felt warm and soft against her skin. "These birds are the cutest creatures alive." She thought fondly. They ran along, getting closer to Himitsu Shi by every step. Aireth were starting to feel sleepy of lying on the Chocobo's soft feathers.

Aireth woke up by the Chocobo was standing still.

She looked up. The Island of Himitsu Shi floated in front of them.

She made the Seal of the Bird so she could talk to the Chocobo.

"We're here." The bird said. "Thanks for taking me all the way here." Aireth said truthfully. "What about your promise about showing me a place where I can be free?" The Chocobo asked. Aireth undid the Seal her hands made so the Chocobo couldn't read her mind, and thought for a moment before she replied. After awhile, the Sealed her hands again. "I cannot show you a place where you can be free. It's something you'll have to find yourself. When you find a place where you _feel_ free, then you've found it." "I get it. I'll continue to search for a place like that." "Thanks for the trip." Aireth undid the Seal her hands made again, and jumped off the bird's back, and into the ocean.

She swam on her back towards her home, where she would fulfill Lucifer's task. She looked up at the sky, the sun was about to retreat behind a bunch of clouds. "Looks like the sun won't shine the day I'll complete your task, Lucifer" She thought sadly.


	15. Chapter 15: Bahamut the Dragon King

**Chapter fifteen**

**Bahamut The Dragon King**

Aireth got up on the shore of Himitsu Shi, trying to avoid detection, as she made her way towards the Temple. Where Bahamut the Dragon King was supposedly being held. When she reached the dead flower field she had destroyed, she shut her eyes, and kept them closed, as she walked across it, trying not to think about how she'd fought her best friend there. "I'm sorry, Areith. I didn't mean to go that far." She mumbled. "I just wanted to……be free." Tears started to pour from her eyes, as she walked across the flower field, feeling dead flowers against her ankles. "I'll make it up to you somehow." She thought.

Aireth was now in the middle of the city, still trying to avoid being seen. Other Cetra's could be seen walking between the white houses. Somehow, the village seemed different to Aireth than it had all those years she'd lived in it. It seemed to Aireth as if the village was somehow less lively that before. "It's my fault, I know it." She thought. "They're angry at me because of what I've done."

"But once I complete the mission, and Lucifer will accomplish his goal, I'll prove to them that I only did it for their own good, even though I went too far." She sneaked her way towards the Temple.

Aireth had reached the gigantic Temple. Cold shivers ran down her spine again as she looked up at it. "This is what I hate about my people. This goddamn building, and every tradition and celebration being held in there." She closed her eyes for a moment, and stepped inside the Temple. Aireth suddenly remembered why she had come here last time with her best friend. it had been to celebrate the day when the Cetra freed Earth from Lucifer. Aireth shook her head vigorously to push the memory out of her mind, but it wouldn't go away. She remembered all those happy faces as they'd been celebrating, how Aeris had come over to her with two milkshakes, and how Aireth had screamed at her best friend to "leave her alone".

"Just continue onward. Get Bahamut. Don't stop." She mumbled, trying to stop the feeling of guilt at shouting at her best friend, and in the end fighting her, from spreading deeper into her soul.

Aireth found the door Lucifer had talked about. She tried to open it. Her hand suddenly met an invisible barrier, making it impossible to open the door, unless she broke it. Aireth raised her hand, and threw a fireball at the door. The fire didn't make contact with the door, but was extinguished the second it met the barrier. "It seems like the Cetras actually put an effort in making this Seal." She thought.

She backed away, and raised her right hand. She used the same method of trying to open the Seal as she'd used on the Reactor of Sealing. Nothing happened. "What the heck?" Aireth mumbled.

She turned around, and saw a bowl of fruit at a table in the room. "Strange. Didn't expect it to be food in here when they don't celebrate anything." She went over to the fruit, and picked up an orange. She turned around, and threw the fruit at the door. The fruit went right through the barrier, and made contact with the door. "Wow. So this was the only way of undoing that Seal, throwing fruit at it." Aireth thought amazed. She went over to the door, and tried to touch the handle. Her hand made contact. She opened the door to Bahamut the Dragon King.

Aireth stood in a large, circulated room, with a gigantic stone statue against the wall in front of her. The statue resembled a gigantic dragon with wings as long as five meters. Its feet had long, razor-sharp claws.

But the most frightening of all, was the dragon's face.

The eyes were painted blood-red, and the mouth was opened wide in a roar, its large, pointed fangs as long as fifty centimeters.

In front of the dragon, was a pedestal. A small red ball was standing on it. "So this is the device which summons him." Aireth thought.

She approached the small red ball, and picked it up. It felt surprisingly light in the palm of her hand. The little ball felt like it was made out of red glass, only that it wasn't glass at all. She put it in a pocket in her white cloak. "Time to head back." She thought, and ran out of the room.

Aireth stood outside the Temple, feeling cold raindrops against her face. Rain had started to fall down from the sky, and the sun was no longer visible behind all those dark clouds. Aireth felt sad because of all the rain, and the dark clouds. "This sucks. How come it's so goddamn dark the day I'm accomplishing The Lord of Darkness' mission!" Aireth thought frustrated. Aireth looked around, trying to see through the thick layers of dark rain. She could see shapes of other Cetras standing among the houses. She tried to sneak away, away from the Village. She reached the dead flower field. "AIRETH!" Aireth stiffened, turned, and saw all the other Cetras of Himitsu Shi standing there. "What are you doing here, bitch!" A boy's voice called over the pouring rain, a voice which assumed hate and disgust in every word. "Leave me alone, whoever you are. I'll prove to you that what I'm doing is for my peoples own good." "You destroyed the flower field of Himitsu Shi! A Cetra who wanted the best for her people, would never even think about doing that!" Another Cetra called. Aireth fell silent. "I went too far. I didn't mean it." She said, loudly enough for the Cetra to hear her.

"You're not one of us anymore, Aireth. We have no love for you anymore. And if you don't leave this instant, we'll kill you." A girl said coldly. Aireth blinked as she heard this. She couldn't believe it. She was no longer accepted among her own people. "It's clear to me that whatever I say won't make you listen to sense." Aireth said. She took the small red ball, the device used to summon Bahamut out of her pocket. "If you don't leave me alone, I'll destroy Himitsu Shi." She said. The Cetras backed away as they saw the small red ball. "You stole Bahamut the Dragon King!" One of them asked thunderstruck.

Aireth nodded. "Leave me alone, and don't try anything on me again, or I'll use this on you." Aireth said threateningly. The Cetras of Himitsu Shi looked at each other. Suddenly, one of them charged forward, roaring like a bear with a Combat Staff in one hand. He threw a bolt of lightning at Aireth. She conjured a silver shield to deflect it. The bolt of lightning hit the shield, and bounced back at its user. The boy screamed out in pain and fell to the ground. "That was the only chance you got, assholes!" Aireth screamed, and raised her hand holding the device to summon Bahamut.

"I summon thee, Bahamut the King of Dragons!" Aireth called.

Suddenly, Aireth was engulfed in green light, and red, yellow and white markings with Japanese writings surrounded her. The sky opened. It looked like a hole in the sky had appeared up there. And then the dragon came forth. It looked like the statue in the Temple, only that the eyes were not red, but black. The dragon roared. A noise unlike anything any of the Cetra below had heard before. The roar was extremely screechy. Aireth and the other Cetras clasped their hands over their ears. Bahamut the Dragon King opened his mouth. The teeth were exactly like the statue's. A beam of pure, non-elemental energy erupted from it. The Cetra ran for it, screaming in panic, trying to escape the beam. Bahamut flew higher up. The Cetras reached the shore, and jumped out into the sea to escape. Bahamut released the beam. Suddenly, everything Aireth could see was intense, white light. She covered her face with her hands, and turned away, trying to conjure a shield to protect herself from the beam. After a few minutes, the light faded away. Aireth opened her eyes, and looked around. The Cetra Village of Himitsu Shi was completely destroyed. The home she'd known all her life had turned into a gigantic crater in an island in the middle of the ocean. She looked up. Bahamut the Dragon King flew down to Aireth. Aireth looked over at the shore. All the Cetras got up from the sea, soaking wet. They looked at her, horrorstruck. "I told you to leave me alone." Aireth called. She got up on the gigantic dragon's back. She made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands, and spoke to Bahamut telepathically. "Fly me to the Reactor of Sealing." The Dragon roared, and flew away, with Aireth on the back. She looked down on the awed Cetra standing there on the island of the northespole. She looked ahead. "I've completed your mission, Lucifer." She thought happily. "Finally, we can create a new and better world for everyone to live on." She let herself be carried away, back to The Lord of Darkness, feeling a certain feeling of triumph as she soared through the sky on Bahamut the Dragon King.


	16. Chapter 16: The crater of Himitsu Shi

**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Crater of Himitsu Shi**

Aeris ran and ran along a path she could not see. All around her, she could see nothing but darkness. "Aireth! Aireth!" She screamed. She continued to run around in darkness, searching for her best friend.

"Don't leave me! Aireth! Don't let Lucifer take you! You're still my best friend! Aireth, wo negai!" "She cannot hear you, Cetra girl."

Aeris turned around. The silhouette of a man stood in front of her. He was as dark as the darkness surrounding them, except for his eyes, which were poisonous green. They flared at Aeris, and she felt as if she would get overwhelmed by fear any moment." "But……I have to see her!"

"My Shimobe, Aireth has left you forever. You're all alone now.

No one to be there for you anymore, Cetra girl." "NO! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" "Don't try to make yourself believe Aireth is still your friend. She does not want to be there for you anymore. There is nowhere for you to go, or no one for you to go to." The man spoke in a hoarse whisper, as if he hadn't used for decades. "You're all alone now. No one to care about you anymore. You're alone in the darkness, Cetra girl. " "NOOOOOOO!"

Aeris woke up with a start. She was trembling as if she'd been hit by another one of her best friend's sound attacks. She was lying among a whole bunch of smashed rocks. All around her, she saw the remnants of the mountain that had guarded The Reactor of Sealing before she ran amok with her Magical Power. She breathed rapidly, and her heart pounded as fast as Sleipnir's galloping hooves. Aeris lied there for several minutes, trying to calm herself. Her breathing calmed down, and after awhile, her heart went back to normal pounding. "That dream was _scary_. I've never had a nightmare like that before." She thought. Aeris got up. "Perhaps I should get back to Sleipnir." Aeris tried to follow what was left of the path down the mountain.

"What was that, anyway?" "That dream was just so _realistic_." Aeris stopped for a moment, closing her eyes, trying to push the nightmare out of her mind. But it didn't work. She couldn't stop imagining those horrible, green eyes." "Who was that, anyway?" She thought. "I mean, it's not like I've met a guy like that before in my life or anything, so it's not like I could've met someone to trigger something like that in my mind." Aeris started to tremble again.

"Come on. Think of something _else_!" Aeris mumbled, trying not to fall as she stumbled her way down the destroyed mountain path.

Aeris had finally reached the foot of the destroyed mountain, and stood there, looking at the ruined village of Nibelheim. She stood there for a moment, and ran over to what was left of Tifa's Zack's and Cloud's house. The house looked as if it had been bulldozed.

"No." She mumbled. "No. I didn't…." Aeris started shaking even worse than before, but out of fear of her bonds with Tifa, Cloud and Zack to be broken. She started searching among the ruins for her friends. "What the heck was _that _anyway?" Aeris jumped and turned around. Tifa, Cloud and Zack stood there. They were _okay_! Aeris ran over to them, and gave them all a massive hug. on, Aeris! Get a grip!" Cloud and Zack said muffled.

Tifa and Aeris started to laugh. The memory of the nightmare was no longer as scary and realistic as before, and Aeris could relax a little more. "What happened, anyway? Suddenly, the entire mountain came down, and we had to run out of the village." Zack said. Aeris fell silent for a few moments. "Sorry. I couldn't find Aireth, and I saw that she had accomplished what she'd set out to do, so I lost my temper, and used my Magical Power to destroy Mt. Nibel." She explained.

"Wow. So that was it. Didn't know you were that powerful, Aeris."

Zack said amazed. "What has Aireth accomplished?" Tifa asked concerned. "She has released one of the most powerful and dangerous enemies the Cetra has ever had. And if I don't hurry, she'll wind up into even more trouble." Aeris said, and her voice broke. She started to cry, shaking uncontrollably from the sobs. Tears poured from her eyes again. "Why the heck do I cry all the time nowadays?" She thought angrily. Tifa held her, letting Aeris cry on her shoulder. Cloud, Zack and Tifa stood there, not really knowing what to do, but to be there for Aeris when she needed them.

Tifa let her cry, without asking her to stop or anything, but let her take the time she needed. After awhile, Aeris's crying stopped. Tifa let go of her. They all looked at each other. "Do you want us to help you again, Aeris?" Cloud asked. "I think I want to take care of this myself. I don't want you guys to have to do more for my people. Aeris released her Magical Power again, and restored the Village of Nibelheim. All the houses were repaired, and everything looked as it had done when Aeris had stayed there a few hours ago. "There. Sorry about that." Aeris said, trying to smile. "I must go after Aireth. I have to save her before she gets into even a worse hell than she is already in." They looked at each other. "Thanks for being there for me. It means a lot. But I don't want you to do more than this. I've already asked for more than enough by starting howling like that." Aeris said. "C ya, folks."

Aeris went out of Nibelheim. She stopped outside the restored gates, and made the Seal of the Horse. "Sleipnir. I could do with some help here. I have to get back to Himitsu Shi." She thought. She lied down on the ground, looking up at the dark sky. "Where are all the stars, anyway?" She thought, frowning. "It's boring without the stars to look at."

After awhile, Aeris could hear the sound of eight hooves galloping towards her. She sat up, and watched Sleipnir approach her.

She got up on his back, and they galloped away, back towards the Cetra Village. In all the events that had occurred since last time she rode Sleipnir, Aeris had forgotten how it felt to ride the horse. She enjoyed everything of it. The rushing of the wind as they soared forward, the sound of Sleipnir's hooves as they touched the ground. All of it.

They rode for days. But even though it was partly the same journey as before, when she left her village for the Reactor of Sealing, the whole journey felt different, now that Aeris knew what her best friend had done. She felt assure of a certain thing which she didn't know what to think about before she saw the Reactor of Sealing unsealed.

That feeling made Aeris unsure of herself. And the feeling of happiness she had felt when she saw that Tifa and the others were safe, was evaporating fast.

When they camped after riding for two days, Aeris felt so depressed by this feeling she couldn't even remember all the happy times she'd had with Aireth. They had camped right next to a gigantic crater on a dead grassland. At the bottom of the crater, Aeris saw the remains of a gigantic snake. Its skeleton was soaked in dried blood. Aeris looked down at the gigantic snake skeleton. "I wonder who did that."

She thought. She moved away from the crater with the dead snake in it, trying not to look down upon the bloody skeleton. Every time she glanced down at it, out of a feeling she couldn't fully understand, she felt sick and wanted to puke. Aeris forced her mind to concentrate on something else. "I wonder what my village will be like when I get back." She thought. She tried to prevent herself from imagining Himitsu Shi in ruins, with all of its inhabitants lying dead among destroyed buildings. "Stop thinking about such things!" Aeris said to herself. She lied down on the ground next to Sleipnir, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep, but to no prevail. After awhile, she gave up, and looked instead up at the starless sky up there. "I don't want to fall asleep, anyway. I don't want another nightmare like that last one. I wonder if Aireth's journey to Lucifer was something like this."

Aeris thought miserably. She lied awake the rest of the night. Image after image involving more terrible things about her people flashing before her eyes.

Aeris sat up hours later. The sun hadn't shown itself yet. She could see shrouds of early morning mist floating at her feet.

Aeris Sealed her hands again with the Seal of the Horse.

"Let's go, Sleipnir. I want to reach Himitsu Shi today."

"I understand." The eight-legged horse replied. "We need to find Lady Aireth." Aeris got Sleipnir's back, and he thundered away.

After hours of riding, Aeris lost track of the time. She just sat on the constantly moving back of Sleipnir, feeling anxious to the bone.

They galloped across the sky, towards Himitsu Shi. After countless hours, Aeris couldn't find anymore happiness in riding. All she could think about, was Aireth, and if the Cetra of Himitsu Shi were safe.

Aeris had been sitting on the back of Sleipnir with her head swinging from side to side. She was half asleep. The only thing that still kept her awake, was the feeling of bumping up and down on the eight-legged horse's back all the time. Then suddenly, in the far distance, she thought she saw something in the middle of the sea. Aeris rubbed her eyelids, and stared more focused at the little dot far away. She made the Seal of the Horse with her hands. "Is that my village?" She asked Sleipnir telepathically. "Yes." The horse replied.

"But I have a feeling something is wrong over there. We'll see once we get there, Lady Aeris, but don't expect everything to be alright at the Northespole." "……I understand." Aeris said, and undid the Seal of the Horse. "Don't worry too much about what I said before you get to Himitsu Shi, and can see it for yourself." Sleipnir said, but when Aeris didn't have her hands Sealed, she couldn't hear him.

Hours later, they'd reached the Cetra Village of Himitsu Shi.

Aeris fell off Sleipnir in shock. She fell into the water, and when she got up, she stared thunderstruck at what was left of her beloved home.

A gigantic crater on an island in the middle of the sea. Aeris swam as fast as she could to the shore, and got up on dried land.

She could not believe what she saw. Her home was destroyed. The Cetra Village she and Aireth had grown up together in had been transformed into a big pile of rubble. Aeris fell to the ground, not able to stand any longer. Her whole body started shaking with a whole bunch of feelings mixed together. "My home…… My friends….." She mumbled.

"Aireth……I cannot believe it was you who did this.

I won't believe it." Aeris whispered. "This is not you, Aireth. I refuse to believe that." Aeris stood up. "Lucifer…..That inhuman bastard!" Aeris screamed into the night. "Aeris? Is that you?" Aeris gasped. And turned around. Ageha came over to her, followed by every other Cetra of Himitsu Shi. "You are all……." Aeris couldn't find words for what she was feeling. She ran over to Ageha, and flung herself into Ageha's arms, laughing and crying at the same time. The other Cetra joined in. they all hugged Aeris, beaming and laughing over happiness at having their friend back. Aeris let go of all the Cetra's she hugged, and stepped back, looking at all the happy faces she knew so well. She fell silent, looking into Ageha's big blue eyes.

She waited a little bit before breaking the silence now stretching over the entire island. "Don't tell me Aireth did this." She mumbled forcefully. Ageha sighed. A long, deep sigh which told Aeris how badly hurt she was. After awhile, she spoke. "It was. She stole Bahamut the Dragon King. When we tried to stop her, she summoned that gigantic flying beast, and destroyed our Village. She then flew away on the dragon's back. We've no idea where they went."

"Forgive us, Aeris. We tried to stop her, but she was just too Magical Powerful." A boy said. The same guy who'd tried to finish Aireth off.

"I already know how Magical Powerful she is, thank you, Tao Shi." Aeris said quietly, looking into the boy's narrow orange eyes. "Sorry, Aeris. You fought her. I should've remembered…..Sorry." The boy mumbled shamefully. "What about the Valkyries?" Aeris asked.

"We've had no word from them. Though they know where she was headed before she returned to the village, we don't know where she went after she stole Bahamut, so the Valkyries won't be able to find her now." Ageha said. "They will need time to get to the Reactor of Sealing. There's been more than a week now since they left to find Aireth, but when they would have to go to the Reactor on _foot_, they won't have reached their destination yet." "The Reactor of Sealing is no more. I saw to that. After Aireth left, I went after her. When I reached the Reactor, I saw it unsealed. When I realized Aireth wasn't at the Reactor and what she'd done, I destroyed the whole thing and the mountain surrounding it. Aireth has accomplished her objective. The Lord of Darkness has risen again, and will probably try to use Bahamut the Dragon King, and those puppets of his to destroy us." Silence greeted these terrible news. The Cetras looked at each other, horrified at what Aeris had just told them.

"So then…..The Valkyries will just arrive at a whole bunch of smashed rocks and a big pile of rubble that used to be the Reactor of Sealing?" Ageha said. Aeris nodded. " "By the way. Where is Toomy Hermaanius?" "He's sleeping. He slept through the entire showdown inside his house. I think he's alright though. It takes more than a beam from Bahamut to even wake up Toomy Hermaanius." Ageha said, and all the Cetras burst out laughing, Even though they were in an extremely tricky situation.


	17. Chapter 17: The Valkyries

**Chapter Seventeen**

**The Valkyries**

The Valkyries, the Elite Force of the Cetra's Combat Unit, could at last see the place where they knew the Reactor of Sealing was. "What the……Did any of you know that the Reactor of Sealing looks like a whole bunch of smashed rocks?" One of them asked surprised. He had pitch black hair which stood to all sides. His eyes were a deep brown color. Across his face, there was a scar diagonally across his face. "Don't be silly, Murasame-kun. Someone's obviously been here before us and destroyed the mountain protecting the Reactor and the Reactor with it." Another Valkyrie said. The Valkyries looked at the place where the Reactor of Sealing had once been that Aeris alone had destroyed so thoroughly.

"Wonder who did this." Murasame said. "Hey, Lin-Sama! What should we do now?" He asked their leader, Lin; A Valkyrie with short pale hair, deep, dark blue eyes, and a rough look. Lin was (along with the rest of the Valkyries) dressed in a white cloak. Unlike the Cetra's celebration outfit, the cloak was shorter, and more suited for combat. Inside the cloak, were many small pockets where the Valkyries could keep small weapons, such as kunai-knifes, and small Shurikens. (Shuriken is the Japanese word for "throwing stars", and Kunai is the Japanese word for "throwing combat knifes") On the back of the cloak, was a device used for attaching Katana-swords, and big Shurikens. Lin thought for a moment before answering Murasame. "Aireth is not here anymore. I'm guessing she was the one who did this, though I can't understand why she would destroy the Reactor of Sealing like this. It cannot have been with the purpose of hiding traces of that she'd been here; she wouldn't have destroyed the Reactor along with the mountain like this if she'd wanted to avoid us discovering it so easily." So, what do you suppose we should do now, Lin-Sama? We haven't got any idea where the heck she could be." One of the Valkyries asked. He had short, dark hair, with light green eyes. His face didn't have the same roughness as Lin's; instead, it had the look of someone who very often felt uncertainty in life, and didn't always know how to say what he felt. He was dressed in the same combat suit as his boss', but somehow, it didn't look as if it fitted him the same way it fitted Lin's "If you could be quiet for ten seconds, Masamune-San, I'll think of what to do. The boy fell silent, looking offended. "Sometimes, that woman can be a pain in the ass." He mumbled loudly enough for all the Valkyries to hear him. Lin pretended not to have heard, and thought more. "We should search for clues to find out where Aireth is.

We stand a few hundred meters away from the rampaged mountain. We should move closer, and see if we could find anything that could help us solve this mystery. Move out!"

Lin said. The Valkyries soared into the air, and flew the few hundred meters to the rampaged mountain.

They landed, looking at the small village at the foot of the destroyed mountain. "How come this village is unscathed when it's so close to the destroyed mountain?" Murasame asked.

"Can you guys for once ask me a question I can _answer_!" Lin asked tired. Murasame fell silent too, scowling at Lin's back. "I agree, Masamune-kun. That woman is really a big……_Banana!" _Murasame mumbled loudly enough for everyone to hear him. "Are you so lost for words you cannot come up with anything more fitting than a _banana_? In case you haven't noticed, Murasame-kun, bananas don't give orders, or telling people to shut up. And bananas don't wear Valkyrie Combat cloaks." A girl in the squad said, and burst out laughing over Murasame's stupid babble. She had long, dark hair tied back in a green ribbon. She had deep green eyes. Just like Masamune, her face had the look of someone who didn't always know how to express her feelings towards people, or show that she cared, something which she struggled with especially if she was with the person she had a crush on. Her combat suit, just like Masamune's, didn't fit her very well. Just like Masamune, she wasn't the fighting type. "I'll head over to the houses, checking for people. The rest of you, stay the hell out of sight. We don't want to attract any more attention than we have to." Lin said, and walked over to a house at random, and knocked on the door. The other Valkyries watched her.

"Why did I become a Valkyrie? Having to listen to Lin-Samas orders gives me a terrible headache." Masamune said to the others. "Why do you still call her "Sama" while she cannot hear you when you have so much against her, anyway?" A girl asked. The same girl who'd laughed at Murasame's babbling. "In case you've forgotten, Masamune-kun, the title "Sama" is a Japanese title you give someone you _admire_, not someone you think annoying all the time." "Stop acting all superior, Hasegawa. You think I've forgotten _that_?" Masamune replied testy.

Hasegawa ignored him, and went on. "I bet you still admire her, then, since you call her "Sama", even when she cannot hear you?" "Of course I do. Even if I think she's annoying to the bone, I really admire her. She's so damn Magically Powerfull, and does not fear anything. She'll never leave her teammates and friends behind under any circumstances because of the person she is. Of course I admire her. Heck, we all do! The whole village does!" Masamune said. "Tell me something I don't know."

Hasegawa said. Masamune opened his mouth to retort. "Will you two give it a rest? You're more tiring than Toomy Hermanius when he preaches us in the Temple." Another girl in the Valkyrie-squad interrupted.

Masamune and Hasegawa stopped arguing, and resumed their observing of Lin checking all the houses. She had now reached the house where Tifa, Cloud and Zack lived, unable to hear anything on the other doors.

Lin knocked on the door, already half-ready to leave, and give up hope that the village wasn't deserted. She could hear movements from inside the house, and footsteps approaching the door.

She heard a click, when the handle was bent down, and the door opened. A boy stood in the doorway. He had dark, spiky hair which stood to all sides. He had light, brown eyes, which for the moment looked puzzled. "Eh. Hi. Who're you?" The boy asked.

"My name is Lin. I was just wondering how this mountain came down, and what caused it." "Don't tell me you just show up here, and ask me that question just like _that _when I've never seen you before. Who are you, anyway?" Lin observed him for a moment. "I said I would prefer not to attract more attention than necessary. To start telling this guy who I am would be a sure way of attracting attention. But on the other hand, I won't be able to get information here if I don't tell him." She thought. He had a look on his face that told Lin he was suspicious, but still curious. That he wasn't the type it was impossible to talk to.

"I am a Cetra from the Village of Himitsu Shi to the north on the Northespole Island. I am the leader of the Elite Unit of the Cetra's Combat Force; The Valkyries. I am searching for a Cetra named Aireth. She deserted my people a little more than a week ago, and is up to something against the Cetra which must be prevented at all costs. I was told she would come here, to this mountain. But when I came here, I see the whole mountain smashed to bits. I was just wondering who did this, and how your village is still standing." Lin explained. The boy nodded. He seemed to relax a little bit more.

He breathed more freely, it seemed, and the suspicious look on his face disappeared, and all that was left, was the curious expression Lin had seen before. "The Cetra?" He asked, and Lin nodded. "I suppose you've heard of Sephiroth? Haven't you?" Lin nodded again. "He came to Himitsu about three months ago, and started a war against your people. I and my friends, Tifa and Cloud, who live here with me, had been on the run from him for about a week when we sought refuge in your village. There, we met Aeris, who we told everything. When Sephiroth came to Himitsu, a war broke out, and Aeris killed him in a one-on-one duel. We helped out by slaying a few of the dragons he'd brought with him, so the three of us are known in your village."

Lin fell silent after this story. "Oh, and just so you know. The name is Zack." The boy said, looking as if he couldn't sit still, for some reason. "Aeris told me about the war when I and the Valkyries came back from planet-patrol. We'd been told by our village's Chief to scout the planet for fiends, and kill the ones we could find. She also told me about you guys, but she didn't tell me where you lived." Zack nodded. "Aeris came here a few days ago, and told us about Aireth, and how she was searching desperately for her. She went over to the mountain, and a few hours later, the whole thing came down. I and the others escaped this village when we saw that it would get crushed by all the falling rocks. When we came back to the village a few minutes later, we saw Aeris standing at the remains of this house, crying so her whole body shook, trying to dig our bodies out from the ruins, and apparently thinking us dead. When she saw us, she got all overjoyed, and restored the village. She told us that Aireth had accomplished her objective, and released one of the worst enemies your people has ever had." Lin's eyes widened in shock, and she gasped at these news. "So we're too late. Aireth has released The Lord of Darkness." Lin thought. She nodded at Zack's news. "She then went after Aireth. We don't know where she is now." Zack took a deep breath when he'd finished, as if he'd been trying _not _to breathe while talking. Lin nodded. "So Aeris did this. I wonder why? I'll ask her when I see her again. Thanks for the help, Zack. Tell your friends I said hi." Lin said, and went out of the village.

Zack looked after her, thinking how weird it was that only Cetra's visited them. He went back inside the house, thinking about Aeris, and how sorrowful she'd been when they saw her.

Lin went back to the other Valkyries. "What'd they say,

Lin-Sama?" Masamune asked. "I was told that Aeris was here before us, and that she destroyed the mountain, and probably the Reactor of Sealing along with it. They told me that Aireth was here before the Reactor and the mountain were destroyed. They told me that Aireth has released Lucifer. We're too late. Aireth has accomplished her objective." The Valkyries gasped in horror, and looked at each other, trying to grasp what their leader had just said. "What should we do now?" Hasegawa asked after awhile frightened. "We should return to Himitsu Shi as fast as humanly possible. If we're lucky, the Cetra might still be alright, and we can make our stand against Lucifer." Lin said. "Move out!" The Valkyries of Himitsu Shi flew into the air, and sped towards their village, hoping with all their hearts that their people were safe. Hasegawa flew over to Masamune as they traveled. Above them, they couldn't see any stars, or any moon to cheer them up. The night had come

"Masamune-kun. Gomenasai for what I said back there."

Masamune looked at her in surprise. "Why should you be sorry? You didn't really tell me anything that hurt." Hasegawa looked at him sadly.

"The way I acted all superior back there. And the way you told me to stop. Gomenasai." "There's nothing special about that, Hasegawa. You've always been like that to me." "That's why I'm sorry. I don't mean what I say. The things I tell you every time we have arguments like that are not the things I'm really feeling." "Then what do you feel?" Masamune asked puzzled. Hasegawa fell silent. She bit her lip. Masamune had never seen her act like this before. Hasegawa looked at him, her green eyes full of longing. "Eh. Hasegawa. What's wrong?" Masamune asked. "Masamune-kun. I….." She looked as if she couldn't find words for what she felt. "I feel the same way all the time." Masamune thought. Hasegawa flew closer to him. "I really…like you" Hasegawa mumbled. Masamune stopped flying. Hasegawa did the same. They looked at each other. "What does she mean "I really like you?" Masamune thought. "What's so great about me, anyway? I cannot even tell people how I feel without acting like a goddamn moron. "Why do you like a guy like me? I'm just a big loser with no special qualities or anything." Hasegawa looked at him. "Everyone has their own unique worth, sides of themselves which separates them from others. The things I see in you are the sides of you I like. And if the end of the Cetra is near, I may not get another chance to say this. Masamune-kun….If you died, I would feel like something inside me fell apart, something irreplaceable. The only thing which makes me happy just by thinking about it. I don't want to lose you. I cannot live without knowing you're alive somewhere. And if you die, I just won't be able to live on." Masamune looked at Hasegawa. He took her hand. "Hasegawa. I feel the same way. That's probably why we've had so many arguments in the past. I don't want to lose you either." They looked at each other. Hasegawa held his hand in return. They flew closer. They could feel each others' breath against their faces. Masamune couldn't explain or describe the emotions swelling up inside him.

All he knew was that he hadn't felt like that before. Masamune and Hasegawa held each other.

"Hey guys! Are you coming, or what?" Hasegawa's and Masamune's lips separated. They looked over at the other Valkyries. "Yeah, Murasame-kun. We're coming." Masamune called. Hasegawa and Masamune flew over to them hand in hand.

The Valkyries continued their journey back to their home.

"Did we miss something?" Murasame asked. "You bet." Hasegawa replied. Masamune said nothing. He just enjoyed the feeling of Hasegawa's hand in his as they soared across the sky...


	18. Chapter 18: The Goblin Island

**Chapter Eighteen**

**The Goblin Island**

Aireth flew on Bahamut the Dragon King to meet with The Lord of Darkness. She noticed how different it was to ride on a gigantic dragon like Bahamut, from Sleipnir and Chocobos.

Its skin felt far rougher and harder than the eight-legged horse, or the golden bird she'd ridden before. "This creature is not at all comparable to Sleipnir or any other animal I've ever met before.

His strength and Magical Power is frightening. The only reason why I can control him is because I'm his summoner, not for any other reason. If another person summoned him next time, I would be unable to make him even listen to me. This sort of animal isn't the kind of creature I have any love-at-first-sight for. At least not freely. Aw well. As long as I don't make the Seal of the Dragon with my hands, he cannot read my thoughts, so I won't have to worry about him getting angry or anything, but when I think about it, this dragon really feels like a dark and evil creature.

He's the kind of individual who does not have any love for anyone, or anything, he just does what his summoner tells him to do." Cold shivers ran down Aireth's back as she thought about it.

"I cannot say that anything I've done since I left Himitsu Shi after busting Aeris up, has made me truly happy. Everything just feels wrong. But I won't go back to my people after all this. I've got to create a new world for everyone to live in. As long as the Cetra's traditions and ceremonies are kept alive, I will never feel free. I know what I have to do." She looked around her. The sun was about to retreat in the horizon. Aireth looked up. She was expecting stars to start sparkling up there, but no stars came.

"I wonder why. Ever since I freed Lucifer from that reactor, all the stars and the moon have disappeared." Aireth sighed heavily.

"It's boring without the stars to look at."

Hours later, Bahamut the Dragon King started to fly lower as they approached an island in the middle of the sea.

It was smaller than Himitsu Shi, and it wasn't white, but green with grass all over it. Aireth made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands, to speak to Bahamut. "That's the place, then?"

"Yes." Bahamut replied. When Aireth had her hands Sealed this way, she could feel how dark Bahamut's mind was. While Sleipnir and the golden Chocobo's minds had been open and free and full of happy thoughts, with Sleipnir's mind a little more serious than the Chocobo's, Bahamut's mind was closed to anyone. He had no happy thoughts, and he spoke much less than Sleipnir and the golden Chocobo. Aireth undid the Seal her hands made. "I'll be glad once I'm off him." She thought, as they soared down towards the Goblin Island.

Bahamut landed on the shore of the island.

Aireth jumped off him, happy to be down from there.

"I wonder where he is." She thought. "Well, there's no point in asking Bahamut. He always tries to talk as little as possible anyway." Aireth looked around. Suddenly, she became aware of the breath-taking silence that stretched across Goblin Island.

Aireth started whistling to break the silence. She whistled Cetra lullabies her Mom had sung for her when she was a kid. As she whistled, she felt how an unbearable feeling of sadness swelled up inside of her, remembering her childhood in Himitsu Shi. After awhile, Aireth stopped whistling. She wiped her eyes. "I sure hope I can prove that I just want the best for everyone in this world." She thought.

"So. You accomplished your mission, I see." Aireth jumped and wheeled around. Lucifer stood there in front of her. His poisonous green eyes boring into hers. He wore a black suit with the Yin Yang symbol on his chest, with a few gigantic changes to it. The color black in the symbol which symbolized all the negative in the world (Yin) consumed the entire symbol, making the Yin Yang symbol look like some kind of symbol of darkness, with absolutely no positive Yang in it. Aireth nodded, unable to speak when she was around him.

"I wonder why this guy never asks me why I get all quiet when I'm around him. Or why my body still trembles when I feel his aura. I bet it's not because he doesn't notice it." Aireth thought bitterly. "It was never for him to begin with, anyway. It was for me and every living creature in the Universe except The Lord of Darkness."

Lucifer looked at Aireth. "Got nothing to say, Shimobe? You've just given The Lord of Darkness what he desired the most. Surely you must have something to say?" His hoarse whispering, Aireth noticed, was gone. His voice was now high and cold, and it seemed as if with every word he spoke, he sucked at the air, and drained it of oxygen, making it harder for Aireth to breathe properly. "Is this feeling of being slowly strangled just my imagination?" She thought. Aireth took a deep breath, and looked directly into The Lord of Darkness' eyes. She held her gaze. "Will this create a new world?" Aireth asked, her voice no longer small and frightened as it had been the day she released Lucifer. It was the same voice she'd had when she Unsealed the Reactor of Sealing. That harsh, penetrating voice.

Lucifer didn't seem to take any notice of the change that had come over the young Cetra standing in front of him. An evil smile spread across his haunted face. "Of course it will, Aireth."

Aireth looked at him. "To ask more than that is picking a fight. I really don't think I should ask more." She nodded.

"So what will be our next move?" "The time to crush Himitsu Shi has come, Aireth. Your time has come. You'll get your revenge." "What's this revenge business, anyway?" Aireth thought. "I've got a feeling this guy has misunderstood something here." Lucifer turned away from her, and walked a few steps away. he stretched his arms into the air. He summoned his army of Puppets. All the mindless Cetras who'd appeared wandered mindlessly, purposelessly around. "How can this army, together with Bahamut create a new world?" Aireth wondered. "The reason why I released him in the first place was to break free from the narrow world the Cetra lived in. I thought that he just wanted the same as me, back then when he made his rebellion." Aireth looked over at The Lord of Darkness. he was standing there laughing. "Apparently he thinks he's come up with a perfect, flawless plan, or something." She thought. After awhile, Lucifer laughed so much he started coughing. He coughed for a long time, and when he'd finished, his voice was back to that hoarse whispering when he spoke again. "With this army, I'll be able to recreate this world, and shape it as I see fit." He explained hoarsely. Aireth didn't say anything to this.

"As he sees fit?" Aireth thought. "Now I get it. He just wants to be some kind of Chief or something over this world. What he wants to accomplish is what I call "world domination." Suddenly, Aireth understood what Aeris had meant when she'd said "I don't want you to become another Lucifer." "Well. One thing's is for sure. I don't want any part in something like this. I've got to get back to my people. Even after all I've done." A great sadness swelled up inside Aireth, far stronger than any sadness she'd ever felt before. She had to fight to keep her emotions inside. "Aeris….Ageha….Tao Shi...The Valkyries...Everyone...I understand now. I'll make it up to you, somehow." Lucifer made the Seal of the Dragon with his hands. "Come, Bahamut. Help me crush the Cetra!" "No. Why should I listen to you? You're not the one who summoned me." Bahamut replied. Lucifer swore under his breath. He undid the Seal his hands made. "Aireth." He said in his newly hoarse voice. "Dismiss Bahamut and give the device used to summon him to me." Aireth thought for a moment. "If I don't do as he says, he'll probably kill me. Seems like I don't have much of a choice." She raised the summoner device. "Bahamut. Your present summoner commands you to return to your Materia." At once, Bahamut the Dragon King flew up into the air, and sped into the Materia used to summon him. He was once again inside the device used to Seal him by Kami-Sama.

Aireth handed Lucifer the small red ball. Lucifer smiled in an EVIL way. He put it in a pocket on the inside of his cloak, making it impossible for Aireth to retrieve it in any way. The Lord of Darkness laughed hoarsely. "hehehehehe (cough cough)." "This guy sure is pathetic, in a way." Aireth thought. "When will we attack Himitsu Shi?" She asked, playing along. "I just have to do a few things, first. Then we'll be ready." "And what is it that you have to do?" Aireth asked. Lucifer lied down on the ground. "Sleep." He said. "Eh. Come again?" "I used up most of my Magical Power when I summoned that army. I need to sleep." "And just how long are you planning to sleep?" "ZZZZZZZZZ" The Lord of Darkness had fallen asleep. "He sounds like an earthquake. "He could even compete with Toomy Hermaanius." Aireth said. And with that, she left the Goblin Island, trying not to think about how it would be to _swim_ all the way back to the Northespole, or if the other Cetra could ever forgive her…..


	19. Chapter 19: Aireth's journey home

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Aireth's journey home**

Aireth swam on her back slowly, to save her energy. She knew all to well that Lucifer would sooner or later discover that she'd left him, but she knew that if she tried to hurry, she'd just exhaust herself all too soon.

After something that felt like an eternity of endless swimming in the icy cold ocean, Aireth suddenly became aware that of dry land which bumped gently against the top of her head. Aireth opened her eyes. She'd been keeping them closed to relax in every way as much as possible. She got up on dried land. Her whole body shook from all the hours in the icy cold water.

After the shaking stopped, she felt how every muscle in her body tightened, making her feel as if she could hardly move. "So this is what it feels like to really be _cold_." Aireth thought, shaking from head to foot. "I understand now how it felt for Aeris to shiver this uncontrollably." Aireth felt more guilty than ever before. The shivering was about to stop, and the muscles in her body were on the verge of loosening. She raised her head slowly, and started to get up, Aireth tried to stand on her two feet, a difficult feat, as her muscles _and _her limbs felt as if they'd just been willed out of entropy. "None of this would've happened if I hadn't been so stupid and selfish!" Aireth thought bitterly. Self-anger swelling up inside her. Aireth looked up at the starless, moonless sky. She screamed out aloud to let out her feelings. She screamed and screamed until her throat seared with pain. After awhile, she started coughing. The same thought inside her head all the time: "What have I done, and how could I be stupid enough to do it?" When the coughing stopped, Aireth began to walk. After awhile, she began to run. Despite the fact that she knew she should save her strength. Aireth ran and ran, hoping that she would get home so she could face her punishment. "I'll do anything for them to welcome me back." Aireth thought desperately.

Aireth walked for days. She had neither food nor water with her and she was starting to notice it. Her body felt numb from the lack of food, and her throat had grown thick and dry from the lack of water. Every step she took was a burden to her. But by every step she took, she got closer to her beloved Himitsu Shi on the cratered island of the Northespole. "I was the one who destroyed my birthplace." Aireth thought miserably. The same thought came back into her mind. The only thing she'd been thinking about since she understood what The Lord of Darkness really was. "Why did I release him? And how could I destroy Himitsu Shi!" Aireth couldn't stop thinking about it. She was overwhelmed by the intense feeling of guilt inside her.

The only reason why she didn't commit suicide right there, right then, was because she knew she couldn't rest peacefully as a part of the Lifestream if she her actions wasn't forgiven, or at least until she had asked for forgiveness from her people.

She forced her body to continue walking back to her home.

After a few days of traveling, Aireth reached the grassland with the swamp she had destroyed when she was on her way to Lucifer. She looked at the gigantic crater which used to be the swamp, and down at the grotesque remnants of the gigantic snake down there. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it." Aireth mumbled. She went down into the crater, and climbed over on the other side. When she had reached the other side, she raised her hands and released her Magical Power. For the first time in ages, she used it to heal something. The gigantic crater vanished, and was replaced by the swamp that used to be there. The snake inside it came back to life, and began to swim around in the swamp again. "There. Gomenasai." Aireth turned, and continued her journey.

After weeks of traveling, with mostly just parts of herself to eat, Aireth reached Nibelheim. She saw the ravaged mountain, and the small village standing unharmed in front of it. "Clearly, things have happened here since last time I was here.." Aireth thought. "I wonder if any other of my people has visited this village when they searched for me, as they must be doing. Aireth went over to the gates of Nibelheim. "I wonder if I could ask Tifa and the others to help me." She went over to the house where she knew they lived, and knocked on the door. She heard movement inside, and Cloud opened the door. He stopped dead as he saw Aireth standing in front of him with pleading eyes. She looked as if she hadn't eaten or drunk for days. "You." Cloud managed to whisper after awhile. "Did Tifa tell you about me?" Aireth asked sheepishly. "Why did you come back here?" Cloud asked, his voice was icy cold with hate for the Cetra standing in front of him. He showed no sign of fear, only hate. "I'm trying to get back to my people. To ask them to forgive me." Aireth mumbled. More movement inside the house. Zack and Tifa emerged in the doorway.

Tifa stepped beside Cloud at the sight of the thin and corpse-like Cetra out on the street. "Aireth." She said. The same icy cold voice Cloud had used.

Aireth didn't know what to say. "Have any of my people visited this village?" "What is that to you? You caused Aeris so much unbearable pain." Zack said, stepping beside Tifa.

Aireth started to cry. Tears running down her face in streams. She shaked with hiccoughs. This did nothing to calm Tifa, Cloud or Zack down. "Has A-Aeris been here?" She asked.

Tifa nodded. "She came here searching for you. When she realized what you had done to the Cetra, she made Mountain Nibel come down in her anger. Our village was destroyed by all the falling rocks, but we survived. When we saw Aeris, she restored Nibelheim" Aireth cried even more. Unlike Aeris, she received no love or pity from the people in front of her.

"I h-have to ask her for f-forgiveness" Aireth sobbed. "I want her and my people to w-welcome me b-back." "You made Aeris suffer the way no other Cetra has ever made her suffer before. She didn't tell us this, but I could tell by the way she looked at me." Tifa told her. Aireth sobbed harder than ever. "Did s-she say a-a-anything else?" "What's that to you? You cannot really love her that much if you have it in you to break her heart like that." Cloud said. "G-give me a-another ch-chance to set things right. Tifa, Zack and Cloud looked at each other. "She told us that she had to find you to save you from winding up into even worse bullshit than you were already in." Tifa said after awhile, the tone in her voice a little warmer. Aireth looked at Tifa. "She still believes you are the person she grew up with. If you want anyone to forgive you for what you've done, then Aeris is the one most likely to do it." Cloud told her. "Go to Himitsu and see how it'll go. If you really are Aeris' friend, then you'll come out of it alive." Zack said. "Since we are Aeris' friends, we will help you, but not because we have any love for you or anything." Tifa said in a "don't-get-me-wrong"-sort of voice. Aireth nodded, smiling a little bit. "You look like you've been through some kind of extreme diet or something, so why don't you have something to eat?" Zack asked; suddenly back in his usual cheerful voice. "T-thanks" Aireth replied. The three let her inside.

When Aireth left Nibelheim, she felt much better. Her strength had returned, and she finally felt that someone accepted her, something she hadn't felt in ages. Tifa, Cloud and Zack had even given her a backpack with food and water in it. "Aeris won't want to see you so thin, you know." Cloud had said, handing her a backpack full of food and water. Aireth couldn't thank them enough. "What can I do in return?" She asked, on the verge of tears _again_. "You can take care of Aeris. She means much to you." Tifa replied, looking Aireth straight into her eyes.

"I will. I can't wait to see her again" Aireth said silently.

Tifa smiled. "You _are _a Cetra, after all." She said. Aireth was about to explode with happiness as she heard this. No one had told her that since before she left Himitsu Shi the first time.

Aireth went out of the gates of Nibelheim, feeling much lighter than before. And suddenly, an emotion returned to her that she was afraid she'd lost for good. The feeling of intense, indescribable happiness she'd always had before. The light in her eyes had finally returned. She started whistling Cetra lullabies again as she traveled the rest of the journey back to Himitsu Shi. And this time, she didn't feel sad.


	20. Chapter 20: Reunion

**Chapter Twenty**

**Reunion**

The Valkyries flew as fast as they could back towards Himitsu Shi, hoping to reach their home before Lucifer could strike.

Hasegawa and Masamune still flew hand in hand, hoping to spend as much time as possible as close together as they could be, if the end of the Cetra was near. Lin flew in silence, trying not to think about what could have happened to the Cetra village. None of the Valkyries talked much. They were all trying not to think about what Lucifer could be up to. "I sure hope Aeris made it back to the village safely." Lin thought. She couldn't stop herself thinking such thought. "If anything happens to my people, I won't rest until I've slaughtered that goddamn bitch." Lin thought, images of the past involving Aireth flashing forth in her mind. She remembered how Aireth had screamed at Aeris to "leave her alone" at the ceremony, before she fought Aeris and fled Himitsu Shi. Her eyes flared red at the thought of how Aireth had left Aeris that way. She remembered the look of shock and sadness on Aeris' face as she dropped the milkshakes at the party. "I'll kill that fucking bitch." Lin thought. Darkness of Yin flaring up inside her.

Days later, the Valkyries could see the Northespole island in the middle of the sea. "Something is wrong." Lin thought. She increased her speed. The other Valkyries did the same, Hasegawa almost crushing Masamune's hand in concern.

He didn't let go. He was just as concerned as she was, and they both knew they needed each other. "I'm here, Hasegawa." He whispered. "Masamune-kun. I'm scared." "I'm here. It'll be alright." Hasegawa flew behind him, and clung unto his back as hard as she could to get comfort. Her boobs squashing against his back. "Don't leave me." She mumbled. Masamune flew on, holding her hands she'd placed around his neck. "I'll never leave you, Hasegawa." Masamune, like Hasegawa, didn't want to lose her. They flew down to Himitsu Shi.

They landed on the cratered remnants of their beloved home. Lin couldn't believe it had happened. She wouldn't believe it.

Hasegawa, Masamune, Murasame and the other Valkyries landed beside her. None of them knew how to say what they felt.

"Hey, guys! The Valkyries are back!" The Cetra of Himitsu Shi appeared from behind the ruins. "Tao Shi, Ageha, everyone! You're _safe_!" Lin howled, running towards them, and hugging everyone. The other Valkyries joined in. laughter and tears appeared on everyone's faces as the Cetra was reunited.

"Hi, Lin-Sama." Lin looked at all the Cetras. Aeris stood among them. She ran towards her and gave her a massive, bone-breaking hug. "Aeris! You're here! You're safe!" Aeris smiled. "I am. It's really good to see you!" Aeris said, beaming. Lin let go of her. The other Valkyries were busy talking with the others.

"Don't tell me Aireth did…." She began, but just then, she was interrupted by one of the other Cetras in the crowd. "Look! Something is flying towards us!" All of the Cetras looked up at the sky. Something that looked like a human was flying towards them. As it came closer, Aeris could see what it was. "It's Aireth." She said silently. She flew up in the sky to meet her.

Aireth and Aeris looked at each other. Aireth didn't know what to say. She was afraid of what Aeris would say to her. That she would tell her that she didn't believe in her anymore. Aeris, on the other hand, was worried that her best friend had somehow been manipulated by The Lord of Darkness to come back to Himitsu Shi and really finish the Cetra off. "Aeris. Wo negai forgive me."

Aeris looked at her best friend for a moment, taken aback. This wasn't at all what she'd been expecting. "I destroyed the flower field, and busted you up when you tried to stop me. I destroyed my birthplace after Unsealing Bahamut the Dragon King. I made you suffer more than anyone of the Cetra has ever suffered before. And when I released Lucifer, and learned what he was, and what he had tried to do those centuries ago, I felt nothing but a terrible guilt inside far worse than any bad emotion I've ever had before.

I cannot excuse what I did. All I can do is…." Aireth could say no more. The feeling of guilt and sadness overwhelmed her entirely. Aeris looked at Aireth. At the pained expression in her face.

She looked into her eyes. The eyes she knew so well. She'd never seen them like this. Aireth's eyes were now the saddest ones Aeris had ever seen. Aireth wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't get her emotions out by crying. She didn't know what to do. "Aireth. What you did really hurt me, you know?" Aeris asked. Aireth nodded. "I know. Gomenasai." And she meant it.

But she felt like she couldn't say it enough. "And when you destroyed our birthplace, everyone in Himitsu Shi felt like they'd lost you forever." Aireth could say no more. She just nodded, looking as if she were being slowly strangled by the feeling of guilt inside her. Aeris saw this. "And when you fought me, and nearly destroyed my ears, you told me that you'd kill me if I tried to save you again." At these words, Aireth started to shake with emotions. Her eyes more pleading than ever. Aeris went on.

"But when I rode on Sleipnir, he told me that you still loved the planet, and every living creature living on it. Everything from smallest worm to the biggest wolf. And before you left, you told me that you were gonna give me one chance by sparing my life.

When Sleipnir told me this, and I thought back on the outcome of our duel, I realized something." Aireth looked at Aeris, wondering what she was gonna say. "I realized that you always were the Aireth and the Cetra I've always known. Because I know you so well, I can see that you really regret releasing The Lord of Darkness. I know who you really are, Aireth. And that's why I never believed that I had lost you forever."

Aireth's shaking stopped at these words. She felt no longer strangled by the guilt. She breathed a little easier. And she felt how tears started to pour from her eyes. "Aeris, do you still believe in me? Do you still believe I am the Aireth you once knew?" "I can tell right away when you're telling the truth. If I had lost you, you wouldn't be gliding here now." Aireth's lips formed a shaky smile. "I guess not." Aeris flew closer to her and held her tightly.

The other Cetras stood down on the ground, awed at how (in their eyes at least) quickly Aeris and Aireth had found each others again. Even though none of them had forgotten what Aireth had done, they were all Cetra, and they had a knack for forgiving people. Even if The Lord of Darkness came to them and asked for forgiveness, they would have considered it. Hasegawa and Masamune looked at each other, smiles on their faces. Hasegawa kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. Every Cetra of Himitsu Shi had silently forgiven Aireth along with Aeris, when they saw how deeply Aireth regretted her actions. And when Aireth looked down at them, she knew she was forgiven. Even by Lin. When she saw how the two girls looked so happy together. The new-born darkness of Yin inside her faded away. The two Cetras up there held each other, repairing the bonds between them that had nearly been broken. Now, Aireth had returned to her old self. Her eyes shone brighter than ever. The Cetra of Himitsu Shi was finally reunited.


	21. Chapter 21: The Second Cetra War

**Chapter Twentyone **

**The Second Cetra War**

Lucifer woke up at last on the Goblin Island. He yawned, stretched, and sat up. His voice had been restored to its usual coldness. "Now I'll tell you when and when we'll attack the Cet –"He stopped speaking when he realized his little "Shimobe" wasn't anywhere on the island. She had escaped.

"That….That….MONKEY!" Lucifer roared, jumping around and screaming and howling. The puppets all around him continued to walk around purposelessly.

After about 30 minutes with jumping, screaming and howling, Lucifer calmed down a little bit. "So. You dare betray me, eh?"

"You dirty old hag!" Lucifer howled again, streams of spit shooting in all directions. "How dare you betray The Lord of Darkness! He is very angry right now!" The Lord of Darkness breathed through his nostrils like a bull, and scraped on the ground with his feet like a bull. For some reason, he had never shown those bull-like sides of himself to anyone. "Well. Even though I am alone, I'll crush the Cetra! MWAHAAHAAAAHAAAHAAA "The Lord of Darkness laughed over his EVIL plan. He took out the Materia to summon Bahamut. "Come, Bahamut the Dragon King! Help me crush the Cetra!" Lucifer was suddenly engulfed in the same green light as Aireth had been, with the same red, yellow and white Japanese writings surrounding him. The sky opened, and Bahamut came forth. Roaring the same screechy roar like last time. He landed behind The Lord of Darkness. Lucifer laughed in his extremely EVIL way. "MWAHAAHAAAAHAAAHAAA"

Meanwhile, The Cetra were working feverishly to rebuild their village. The road of white stone, all the white houses, The Cetra Temple. Every Cetra worked all day, trying to rebuild the village back to the way it had been. Aireth and Aeris stood in the middle of the flower field together, hands raised and using their Magical Power to revive all the dead flowers. While they worked, flashback after flashback of their duel at the flower field appeared before her eyes. She remembered how she'd destroyed all the flowers. "Time for me to pay you back, Aeris." Aireth said. She raised her hand to the sky, and pushed her Magical Power to its limit. The light that had always shone on the flower field returned. Aireth saw how all the flowers seemed to appreciate the light. She felt more of the intense, indescribable happiness inside her. She smiled at Aeris, who smiled back. The flower field was restored. They threw themselves into each others arms and fell on all the flowers. They rolled around on the flower field, screaming and howling with happiness, like before. The flower girls of Himitsu Shi had finally returned. All the other Cetras could hear the familiar sound coming from the flower field. "Wow. They're back to their old selves." Masamune said, holding Hasegawa.

"Yeah." She said happily. "Our village has been revived, Masamune-kun." He smiled at her, and kissed her lips. They held the kiss. He heard moans come from her as he put his arms around her, holding her tighter, making her boobs squash against his chest. They broke the connection, looking into each others eyes. Hasegawa had never seen anyone with eyes like that for her before. "Hasegawa." Masamune mumbled, blushing harder than he'd ever blushed before. "Yes?" She asked, but she already knew what he wanted. "I was thinking. Everyone is out here…and….eh….Do you think we could….you know….." He couldn't say the words. But to Hasegawa, it wasn't necessary. She'd wanted to do it ever since their first kiss. "Follow me." She whispered. She kissed him once more. They went over to Hasegawa's house, closing the entrance door and pulling the curtains so they wouldn't be bothered. For a few hours, every Cetra of Himitsu Shi forgot about the crisis the entire Universe was up against.

About four hours later, the Cetra village of Himitsu Shi was finally restored.

Aireth was sitting in Aeris' newly rebuilt house with a glass of milkshake in her hands. Aeris was sitting beside her with an arm around her best friend, trying to soothe her still guilty conscience. They both thought it had disappeared while they restored the flower field, but when they were sitting together again, alone, Aireth felt some of the guilt returning to her.

"Aeris. Do you think we can go back to old times?" She asked.

Aeris looked at her. "Even the Cetra doesn't possess the power to change the past, Aireth. So we cannot go back to the old days, Aireth. Too much has happened." Aireth let out a deep sigh. "I know. I just want us to be happy together again. Us and the rest of Himitsu Shi." "Didn't you see Hasegawa and Masamune earlier today in the temple? Didn't you see how happy they were? Even in the darkest of times, the Cetra can feel happiness, Aireth. Because we all love this blue planet called Earth. As long as Earth exists, and as long as there is Yang in the Universe, every Cetra can still feel happiness. The Cetra of Himitsu Shi _are _already happy. Against the happiness we always feel as long as we are alive, even Lucifer will sooner or later have to give up. Why do you think he lost the previous Cetra war? Because the few Cetra who opposed him and his subordinates all believed that they had every living life-form in the Universe to feel overjoyed about. Against that power, Lucifer couldn't stand a chance, no matter how much Yin he possessed in his heart. The Cetra cannot be any more happy than they already are, Aireth. We don't have to go back to the old times to be happy. Because we are all here for each other. As long as the Cetra exists, no matter how few, there will always be some Cetrian happiness in the Universe. As long as we can believe in this, and feel happiness, we cannot lose against the Lord of Darkness." Aireth smiled after Aeris' speech.

A smile which proved how deeply freed she felt by those words.

"Do you have any idea how much it means to me to hear you say that?" She asked. "Of course." The two Cetras laughed at this. Their laughter could be heard throughout the entire village, and all the Cetras of Himitsu Shi felt even happier inside as they heard it. Suddenly, a deafening yawn could be heard from Toomy Hermaanius' house. The enormous figure of the present Cetra Chief appeared in the doorway, clearly oblivious to that his village had just been restored after being destroyed by Bahamut the Dragon King. "Why cannot you all be a little more quiet?" Toomy Hermaanius roared, the sound waves from his roar searing at every Cetras' ear." Aireth and Aeris' laughter stopped abruptly as they clasped their hands over their ears to block out the sound. A few minutes later, the entire island of the Northespole was shaken by Toomy Hermaanius' snores as he resumed his peaceful slumber. Aireth and Aeris had to clasp their hands over their mouth and hold their breath as hard as they could to stop bursting into laughter again.

Hours later, Aireth went over to the Cetra Temple. She looked up at the gigantic round building in white stone. She went inside.

Aireth was planning on going inside the chanber inside the Temple used for asking Holy for advise during times of hardship. "I know the Cetra has forgiven me…. But I want….You to forgive me too" She thought as she opened the room to Holy, known as the "Prayers Hall".

Aireth was standing in a gigantic circulated room. The air in there felt perfectly clean and healthy in a way you couldn't feel anywhere else inside the Temple. In front of her, she saw many poles in front of a gigantic altar. The one who wanted to reach the altar had to jump from pole to pole until the person reached the altar. The poles were standing in water which was as clear as the purest crystal, with no traces of pollution or any contamination of any kind. Aireth hated heights, so she had always tried to think of the pole-jumping as some kind of test of endurance for the one who wanted to speak to Holy.

She took a few deep breaths, and began the pole-jumping. Thrice, she was about to fall into the water down there. And every time it happened, she closed her eyes and did her best not to look down.

She let out a sigh of intense relief when she'd reached the altar. "I actually made it. Lucky me." Aireth stood there for a moment, waiting for her heart to stop pounding so fast. She knelt down in the middle of the altar and folded her hands.

"So. What did Holy tell you?" Aeris asked. It was around midnight, and Aeris and Aireth were sitting outside the Temple with their feet in the clear water. The entire village had fallen sleep except them. "The same you told me,

mostly just the same, really." "Did you expect anything else?" Aeris asked friendly. "No. I just wanted to make sure I was forgiven by everyone, including Holy." Aeris smiled at her best friend. "You're back." She said. Aireth felt the same indescribable happiness swelling up inside her as she heard this. She lied back on the white road, looking up at the starless, moonless sky. "Do you think the stars and the moon will return to us once we've taken care of that guy?" Aeris lied down beside her, looking up at the dark sky. "I'm positive. It's really evil of him to keep the stars and the moon away from us though, since it means so much to the Cetra." "Yeah. I've been thinking the same. Before I returned to you, I just couldn't understand why the sky looked so empty." "Don't think about that anymore, Aireth. There's no point in you feeling that way anymore. Let it go.

The rest of the Cetra have. We're just waiting for you to come along too."

"Yeah. You're right." Aireth truly was back. "Aeris….Arigato" She whispered, and with that, she fell asleep. Aeris looked fondly at her best friend. "You're welcome"

In the meanwhile, The Lord of Darkness was standing outside the gates of Himitsu Shi, holding a long, black Combat Staff. An EVIL smile spread across his haunted face, and he laughed hoarsely. "Finally. The time to crush the Cetra has come! The Lord of Darkness will finally get what he has wanted for so long. Right now, he is extremely happy." Lucifer declared. Behind him, his army of puppets was walking purposelessly around, and Bahamut the Dragon King flew high above them.

Suddenly, Aeris woke up by the lake in front of the temple by the feeling of that something was wrong. That something evil was extremely close by. She sat up, looking anxiously around.

"Aireth. Wake up. Something's wrong." She whispered. Aireth opened her eyes and sat up. She felt it too. The familiar aura of the Lord of Darkness. Her eyes widened in horror, feeling icy cold shivers run down her back. "He's come. It's started."

She mumbled. "Aireth, what?" Aeris asked. "Lucifer has come. With Bahamut and that army of his. He's come to kill us." Aeris closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus more on what they should do with the situation, instead of starting to run around in a panic.

"We need to wake the others as quickly as possible and I know how. We'll run over to Toomy Hermaanius' house and wake him up. That should wake the rest of the village up as well, with those roars of his." "Good plan." "Ittekimasu" They said and flew over to their village's Chief's house.

When they reached his entrance door, they barged right in without bothering to knock on the door. When this didn't wake him, no matter how rowdy they'd been, they tried singing Japanese Christmas songs at the top of their voices. This only made his snoring louder, and he slept on. "This is mildly annoying." Aireth said. "How about this?" "Toomy! Dinner's ready! It's Kupo porridge in Mimett sauce!" Aeris howled. Aireth clasped her hands over her ears. Toomy Hermaanius opened his eyes yawning his bear-like yawns. Aeris wore a satisfied expression on her face. "Did someone just say that dinner's ready?" He asked. "Actually, that's not the case at all. The Cetra are in a bit of a dilemma because the Lord of Darkness, Lucifer is standing right outside the gates to our home with an army of dark creatures, ready to annihilate us." Aeris said in a SERIOUS manner. "YAAAAWN!" Toomy Hermaanius yawned, or rather, ROARED again. "I'm sort of tired right now, Lady Aeris. I have neither the strength, nor the will to take care of small problems like that now. I leave the responsibility of leading our armed forces to you and Lady Aireth." "What about Lady Lin?" Aeris asked, awed at these news. "She doesn't have the amount of Yang in her soul necessary to crush the Lord of Darkness, but you do. You and Lady Aireth both have what it takes to finish him off. Therefore, I'm leaving the war to both of you and the rest of our people. Now go. Call me when you've finished, and its ittadakimasu-time." He said. And with that, he fell back to sleep. The two Cetran girls looked at each other. "Did we wake the village up with that?" Aireth asked.

"Doesn't sound like it." "Now I know!" Aeris said cheerfully. "Let's start laughing again! That always brings people to their senses!"

"Good idea!" Aireth said in the same cheerful voice. And they howled with laughter. Lucifer, outside the gates, stopped laughing over his EVIL plan when he heard them. Cold shivers ran down his spine as he heard the happy, screechy laughter from the flower girls of Himitsu Shi. "I've got to put a stop to that ear-splitting laughter once and for all!" He mumbled as he clasped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound. Right now, Lucifer felt less like a "Lord of Darkness" than ever.

Just when Aireth and Aeris were starting to run out of breath from all the laughing, they heard the other Cetras of Himitsu Shi running towards Toomy Hermaanius' house. The entire village stormed inside his little circulated house, falling on top of each other and zooming around in the room as they all tried to push themselves through the doorway at once. When they saw this, Aireth and Aeris _really _started laughing. When they'd finished, Hasegawa spoke. "What's going on here, anyway?" "The Lord of Darkness is standing just outside the gates to Hiimitsu Shi with an army of puppets, ready to slaughter us." Aireth said, getting serious again. "Then why are we standing here, crammed inside Toomy's house?" Murasame asked thunderstruck. "We need to organize a little bit. Toomy Hermaanius gave me and Aeris the command of the Village, so we're supposed to lead you in this fight." "You okay with that?" Aeris asked the Cetra around her. "Sure! With you leading us, we cannot lose!" Masamune said excitedly. Hasegawa gave him a hug, happy he wasn't down anymore. "Okay! So then, how about we get our combat gear and have some darkness VS light in our Village!" Lin said high-spirited. "Okay! Move out!" Aireth said. The Cetra prepared for their hopefully final battle with the darkness.

In the meantime, Lucifer was standing outside, trying to heal his almost broken ears. "How the hell is it possible for the Cetra to laugh so goddamn _loudly_!" He muttered angrily in his hoarse whisper.

One of the puppets went over to him, looking at him with that empty gaze it had got when Lucifer infected him and the rest of them with the virus so many centuries ago. "What the heck are you staring at, you MONKEY!" Lucifer roared hoarsely. The monster continued to stare as though he was fascinated by Lucifer's looks, or something. "Get lost!" Lucifer said hoarsely. He grasped the monster's forehead and sent a Blizzara (Ice 2) through his skull. The monster fell to the ground, as dead as his mind. The other monsters showed no sign of shock or outrage, or any sign that they'd registered what had happened.

Lucifer let his arms fall, breathing heavily through his nose in that bull-like way. "No one messes with me." He whispered hoarsely. "Got that?" The monsters didn't reply in any way. They just stood there, their faces as expressionless as ever. Lucifer looked up at the sky. Bahamut the Dragon King looked down at him. Lucifer made the Seal of the Dragon with his hands. "Got anything you wanna say?" Bahamut shrugged. "You're pathetic." He replied. Lucifer's poisonous green eyes flared up at the dragon. "What did you say?" Bahamut didn't bother to reply. He wasn't afraid of Lucifer. He knew Lucifer wouldn't try anything on him, since he needed the dragon. Lucifer undid the Seal of the Dragon. "Time for me to end this war. Ever since that bitch had the nerve to escape, I've started to have enough of this."

In the meantime, the Cetras of Himitsu Shi had readied themselves for the final showdown with the darkness.

They were all stationed at different parts of the village, the biggest force stationed at the temple gates. Aireth was in charge for the temple squad.

"Are we ready?" She asked. "Don't worry, Lady Aireth! There's no need to be nervous. We are Cetra, so we'll come out of this alive." Masamune said encouragingly. "We don't blame you anymore for what you did, Lady Aireth. We believe in you. We always have and we always will. That will never change." Hasegawa said warmly. Aireth looked at her. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot." She said. "Let's go."

Aeris was stationed at right beside the gates of the village, ready to attack Lucifer's forces in an attack from both sides.

Half of her forces had crammed themselves together at the right side of the gate, while the other half had crammed themselves at the left. Aeris was on the right side. "Come on, folks! Let's show that freak that Cetras are not to be messed with!" Lin said. "Excuse me, Lady Lin, but I'm in charge here." Aeris said politely. "Sorry, Lady Aeris. Got a little carried away." Lin said. "It's quiet alright." Aeris replied warmly. "I really want to rid the Universe of Lucifer too." She said bitterly. The Cetra army waited for their final showdown.

Suddenly, the sky was penetrated by an ear-deafening screech. Every Cetra of Himitsu Shi clasped their hands over their ears, dropping whatever weapon they held in their hands. Aeris looked up. Bahamut the Dragon King flew high above them, shooting beams of Non-Elemental Magic down at Himitsu Shi, destroying the houses the Cetra had worked so hard to rebuild. Aeris made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands. "Bahamut, King of Dragons. Why do you serve an inhuman creature like Lucifer?" Bahamut stopped screeching and shooting. He looked down at the Cetra down there. "It's not like I am loyal to him, Cetra girl. I am just bound to do his bidding since he was the one who summoned me. If I tried to deny whatever order my Summoner gave me, I would lose myself. That's highly unbecoming of Bahamut the Dragon King. I fight for myself and only for myself. This is nothing personal. I just do as I am commanded." He resumed his Mega Flaring. "But what if I could change that?" Aeris persisted. "What if I save you from this slavery? You can be your own dragon. Would you give me a chance to save you? Would you give me a chance to free you from this life?" Bahamut stopped shooting Mega Flares everywhere. He looked down at Aeris again. He looked into her pleading eyes. The same eyes she'd had when she tried to save Aireth before she left Himitsu Shi.

"What are the odds of you speaking the truth?" He asked. "How can I trust you?" "If I cannot accomplish this task, you can do whatever you want with me, and I won't try to stop you. I'm willing to sacrifice my body for the sake of the Cetra. Wo negai! Give me this chance to save you and my people!" Aeris pleaded.

Bahamut thought for a moment. "It's a deal. I'll give you this chance to steal my Materia from the Lord of Darkness, and do what you must with it to free me. Until then, I'll have to continue to follow my Summoner's orders." Aeris nodded. "I'll do my best." She undid the seal her hands made. Bahamut resumed his Mega Flaring. "What did he say, Lady Aeris?" One of the Cetras asked anxiously. Aeris told them what they'd agreed upon.

"Are you _crazy_!" "You'll never make it! How do you expect to manage that task! It's not like you can just walk up to Lucifer right in the middle of all those monsters of his and pickpocket him!" All the Cetras said. "I know. But I'm willing to give everything I've got for my people. I'll sacrifice my life to protect Himitsu Shi. I don't want to see my friends get slaughtered in front of me while hearing the Lord of Darkness' laughter in my ears just before he ends my life. I'll probably die in the attempt, and if I do, but somehow manage to retrieve Bahamut's Summoner Materia, I ask you to give it to Aireth so she can finish the job. Do you get me?" Aeris looked at every Cetra in turn. They nodded. Their eyes big with sorrow and fright. Aeris threw a Wall-spell at her squad to protect them from the Dragon King. "Ittekimasu" And with that, Aeris left her squad.

"What can we do now?" Masamune asked in exasperation. "We cannot do anything to that dragon up there. And if we don't do something, he'll destroy Himitsu Shi _again_!" Aireth thought for a moment. "Lucifer plans to use Bahamut to weaken our stronghold and our forces before he sends in the main attack force. The rest of his army is just waiting outside of the gates waiting for the right time to charge our village." "But what can we _do_!" Hasegawa screamed. Aireth fell silent. Then she flew up to Bahamut with her white Combat Staff in one hand, apparently planning to fight the dragon. "AIRETH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING! GET DOWN HERE!" All the Cetras in her squad screamed. She ignored them, shielded herself with a wall-spell as she went to confront Bahamut the Dragon King on her own, oblivious to Aeris' deal with him. "It's time for me to repay you, Aeris." She thought, knowing she could never win that fight.

Aeris was in midair, fighting Lucifer's army of puppets on her own. They were all standing there, aiming spells at her which she dodged as easily as if it was nothing. Their precision was worse than Aeris could have ever imagined. "Isn't this a little too easy?" She thought, sending an Ultima-spell straight into one of the monsters' faces. It hit the monster, and pulverized its face entirely. Blood splattered everywhere. The eyeballs flew out of the head. They fell to the ground, its empty pupils staring at Aeris. A sickening feeling filled her as she saw it. She flew away, searching for Lucifer in the endless masses of puppets.

In the meantime, Aeris' squad at the gate became aware of the small figure flying towards Bahamut. "What's that, anyway?" One of them asked. It was Murasame. Dunno. I'll check it out." Lin said. She flew closer to the dragon and the small figure. When she was about two meters away from them, she saw who the small figure was. Aireth was fighting Bahamut on her own, dodging his Mega Flares by inches. Lin looked down at her squad. They were staring up at the fight above them, apparently unable to move for some reason. She flew over to them. "What the hell are you doing!" She screamed. Hasegawa looked at her helplessly. "She just flew up there. She wouldn't listen to us at all!" "Is that really an excuse for you to just stand there doing nothing!" She asked. "Aireth flew up there on her own because she wants to make up for what she's done to the Cetra. She doesn't want any of us to help her." Masamune replied, looking as if he didn't know what to do about anything at the moment. "Then let's go over to the gate and fight the rest of his forces!" Lin said. "Aeris is fighting that entire army all by herself!" "You're kidding! All by herself! What's she thinking!" One of the Cetras replied. Lin told them about the deal Bahamut and Aeris had agreed upon. "Then what's the point in Aireth fighting him!" Hasegawa screamed. They looked up the fight above them. Aireth was suffering badly. One of Bahamut's Mega Flares had hit her in the chest. They saw massive amounts of blood oozing from her. And they heard her scream out in pain. "Aireth. She's not gonna make it! And Aeris is in need of help as well! What should we do now!"

Lin thought for a moment. "Both of them need help. The one in most of need is probably Aireth at the moment. Hasegawa. Take half of this squad and go up there. Try to make Bahamut free Aireth. None of us can win a fight against that monster. So you're going to have to talk him into stop beating her." "Do I really need all those Cetras just to go up there and _talk _to him?" Hasegawa asked skeptically. "Just in case something happens." Lin explained. "The other half, come with me to the gate and Aeris' squad to help Aeris. Move out!"

Lin and the rest of Aireth' squad reached the gate where the gate squad stood crammed together at either side of the gate. "What are you doing here?" "We've got to help Aeris." Lin replied. The Cetras looked at over at Aeris. She'd just dodged another one of those extremely badly aimed Firagas from one of the monster. At the same time as dodging the huge ball of fire, she threw a Kunai knife straight in the heart of the same monster who'd tried to fry her. Her speed and precision far exceeded their own. "Doesn't really look like she needs help, does it?" Murasame asked. "Doesn't matter. I cannot just sit around and watch my friends fight alone like that, no matter if they need help or not." Lin replied. "Gotcha. Let's go!" All the Cetras at the gate howled.

In the meantime, Hasegawa and the others had reached Aireth and Bahamut. The rest of the Cetra formed a circle around Aireth, protecting her from Bahamut's Mega Flares. Hasegawa faced him and made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands. "Bahamut. Wo negai! Listen to me!" She thought pleadingly. "What?" The dragon king said. "You made a deal with Lady Aeris didn't you? That if she could free you from the Materia that keeps you from being your own dragon, you would stop attacking our village?" "Yes." "In order for Lady Aeris to accomplish her task, she is dependant on the Cetra you're about to kill. I know I cannot do anything to prevent you from killing me and Aireth, but if you want to be freed from the Materia you're bound to, you mustn't kill her! I'm begging you! Spare her life!" Bahamut thought for a moment. "The dragon king doesn't tolerate anyone who attacks him to go away with it just like that." He said. "For your own sake as well as ours! Let Aireth live!" Hasegawa pleaded, tears running down her face as she was getting increasingly desperate.

Bahamut looked at the small Cetra in front of him. (At least to him she looked small) He looked at her pleading eyes. The same eyes Aeris had had when she'd begged him to give her a chance to save him and her village. He looked at the flow of tears streaming from her big eyes, which had become red and puffy from the crying. "Wo negai!" "This people," Bahamut thought as he looked down at her. "They really care about every existence on the planet. And I'm sure they care about Lucifer too, deep down inside." Suddenly, Bahamut's thoughts, which had up until now always been constantly dark, got lighter. He noticed that he wanted to spare the little Cetra's life, for her own sake, as well as his. "Cetra girl of Himitsu Shi." He said. "I'll spare her life. For her own sake as well as mine." Hasegawa gasped at this. This was beyond anything she could have ever hoped for. "The way of the Cetra is starting to affect me in a way no other ideology about life, or any philosophy about the world has ever affected me before. If Aeris accomplishes her task, I'll join you in your fight against the darkness. I see your ways far wiser than I once thought they were, when the previous Cetra Chief, Kami-Sama sealed me inside that Materia." Hasegawa noticed, during her feeling of astonishment, that Bahamut called Kami-Sama "the previous Cetra Chief", even though there had been hundreds of Chiefs since his time.

Suddenly, she felt indescribably sorry for Bahamut, for being sealed inside that red, small Materia for so many centuries simply because Kami-Sama decided he was "too dangerous" for the Cetra. "Bahamut. Gomenasai for what Kami-Sama did to you. I see now that you've really been imprisoned in that Materia all this time." She thought sadly. "I see now that the Cetra aren't as cruel as I thought they were. They really do care about everything, although Kami-Sama didn't. I wish Lady Aeris all happiness she'll need to accomplish her task to me. Sayonara." He thought. And with that, he flew away.

All the Cetras in the air around him were blown several meters away from the air pressure.

When Hasegawa regained her balance, she undid the Seal of the Dragon. They gathered around Aireth, tending to her wounded body. "Think she'll be alright?" "Her chest sure took a heavy blow. I wonder if her boobs came out of it unscathed." Hasegawa said. She took off Aireth's cover, checking the state of her chest. Hasegawa's eyes widened in shock. Then she let out a sigh of resignation. "We cannot save her boobs." She said. "Meaning?" Masamune asked.

"I know this is really thinking ahead, but at this rate, Aireth will never be able to feed her own child with her own milk, the day she's gonna be a mother." They all fell silent for a moment. "Cannot we use our Magical Powers to heal them?" "Her boobs got destroyed the second Aireth was struck by one of Bahamut's beams. It's too late, we cannot save them. So the day when Aireth will have her own child, she'll have to come up with other ways to feed the small kid." The Cetras fell silent, looking at their beloved friend.

"How can anyone cope with something like that!" Masamune asked silently, looking at the unconscious Cetra among them.

"I know this is hard for all of us. And it'll be a terrible burden on her when she wakes up, but we've got to take care of her wounds for now. Let's move her to the House of Healing." The Cetras carried the unconscious Aireth over to the small, round house, One of the few houses that hadn't been hit by Bahamut's Mega Flares.

Aeris was still fighting Lucifer army on her own. But surprising enough, her dodging and spell-firing were starting to wear out on her. She breathed more rapidly, and she felt her heart pounding like mad even when she didn't put her hand against it. Every muscle in her body ached from all the fighting. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on, or if she would reach Lucifer. She dodged a Waterga-spell by jumping into the air, but when she tried to land on her feet, she fell to the ground. Her legs could no longer carry her weight. She lied there, on the ground, trying to get up with Lucifer's monsters standing over her, their hands aloft, about to fire 20 Ultima-spells straight into her heart. Suddenly, they must have been distracted by something, because they had all looked up.

700 Ultimas were zooming towards the army of puppets, finding their targets with perfect precision. The 20 monsters fell on top of Aeris, dead, along with hundreds of other monsters. Aeris pushed the dead monsters off her and got up. Her gate-squad, and part of Aireth's temple-squad stood there, beaming. "Miss us?" Lin asked. "You guys…you _came_!" Aeris was overjoyed in the middle of the Second Cetra War. "We'll clear a path as you search for Lucifer in this mess. don'tcha worry, Aeris! Murasame said encouragingly. Aeris smiled at him. That warm, happy smile that always made people's hearts lift. "Arigato" She smiled warmly.

The Cetra army started bulldozing their way through the Lucifer's army as they searched for him. "How about we team up as the "bulldozers", within the Cetra?" Aeris yelled cheerfully over the sound of spells being fired and monsters being slaughtered. "Sure. The bulldozers. That's great. Just like in "Three Brothers, with that sketch about those two guys who hunt for "Berit Marie"." "Yeah! Good idea! We'll be just like them! Letting the nature show us the way to our goal, just like "The Path Finder"! Can't wait to see what Aireth has to say about this! It's the coolest idea ever!" Murasame yelled excitedly. "Cool! It's settled!" Aeris yelled cheerfully, throwing an All-equipped Quakeaga (quake 3) at a group of monsters a few meters in front of her. "I should be able to feel his aura, the same way I felt him earlier, when me and Aireth woke up the rest of Himitsu Shi. So I should be able to feel when we've found him." Aeris thought.

About half an hour of mindless-monster-killing, the newly founded "Bulldozers" suddenly found what they were bulldozing around for. Lucifer, the so-called "Lord of Darkness", was standing floating in midair above them, Bahamut's Materia in his right hand. They must've missed him because they forgot to look up.

"You" Aeris said quietly, almost crushing her white Combat Staff with both hands. Lucifer looked down at them. His poisonous green eyes flared as they made contact with Aeris' clear green ones. Her eyes full of Yang, his eyes full of Yin.

"This ends here, Cetra girl." Lucifer said in his hoarse whisper. "Koi." He said, showing her his black Combat Staff. "Don't interfere. You won't stand a chance against him. I'll do it." Aeris told the others. "There are 701 against just him. You really think we cannot take him?" Lin asked skeptically. Lin shielded herself and the rest of the Cetra army. "We'll take him together. Every Cetra of Himitsu Shi has got something they wanna say to that fucking asshole." She said, lifting her Combat Staff. "Tell me something, Lady Lin. Why do you have to use such a rough language all the time?" Aeris asked, a hint of tiredness in her voice. "Hey, I am the leader of the Valkyries, after all. When you've seen so much blood and death as I have, you very easily get like that." She replied. "I get it. Gomenasai for asking. It just started to get a little bit on my nerves." Aeris said. The Cetra army charged at Lucifer all at once.

Lin teleported behind him and tried to stab him with a Kunai-knife in the back. He quickly deflected it by conjuring a shield. Then, before she could get away, he grabbed her forehead with his right hand, while preparing a Blizzara-spell in the other. He clearly thinking of blasting it through her head, as he'd done with the monster.

"Lin! No, you don't, you heartless freak!" Murasame howled, detaching his large Shuriken from his back, and throwing it at Lucifer. He quickly let go of Lin's forehead, and flew up into the air to dodge Murasame's Shuriken, which soared off into the sky before it fell into the ocean below. All the Cetras now started flying with incredible speed around in circles around Lucifer, occasionally sending fireballs at him, which he had trouble dodging, since they were coming from all sides.

"Time to end this." He said hoarsely. He teleported himself up into the air, above all the Cetras, and raised his Combat Staff, using the Magical Power within to call forth hundreds of Meteors down at the Cetra army. They scattered quickly in an attempt to dodge the Meteors. But the Meteors were too fast for them. Hundreds of the Cetras were annihilated. Aeris had managed to conjure a shield strong enough to block the Meteors. She watched as her friends were slaughtered in front of her, blood flowing from their bodies as they started to fall, not able to stay airborne anymore. She saw how Lin fell, coughing blood and clearly struggling to stay conscious and fly up to continue the fight. Her stomach got ripped open as she made contact with the icy cold water below, floating there a few moments before starting to sink due to the heavy weapons she was equipped with. Aeris felt how the aura of her friends died away along with them, and she screamed out in mental pain. The rest of the Cetras glided there for a moment, watching their friends die before their very eyes. Nothing could be done to save them. Even if some of them survived the Meteors, they'd die instantly from the splash into the water. No one said anything. The only thing that could be heard was the splash that came when the corpses of the Cetra fell into the ocean. Aeris' eyes burned with an intense hate she'd never felt before. Yin burned in her soul as she looked into his poisonous green eyes. Aeris nearly crushed her Combat Staff in mental agony. "And you called yourself a Cetra!" She screamed at him. "Hmph. That was a long time ago, Cetra girl. The Cetra means nothing to me now." Aeris screamed out in an outburst of emotions she couldn't fully understand, and charged at him, her speed far exceeding what he'd shown so far. She conjured Ultima-spells in the palm of both of her hands. Lucifer felt how Aeris' aura had changed. Suddenly, her aura was more like his. But along with the burning Yin he felt inside Aeris, he also felt how the Yang inside of her fought to maintain Aeris' original self. The Lord of Darkness raised his eyebrows in interest over her power. "See? Only the Yin inside you can make you strong enough to end my life." He conjured an Ultima-spell in both hands, and held his arms in front of him so that when Aeris made contact with him, she would get struck by the Magic. "If I'd thrown them at her, she could have dodged them, and I wouldn't had a second chance to kill her" Aeris was now just an inch from the Magic in Lucifer's hands, when she quickly teleported behind him. He gasped in astonishment over her insane speed, and quickly turned around. But it was too late. Aeris punched him in the face with both hands engulfed in the deadly Ultima-spell. Lucifer was blown backwards from the force of the spells. Aeris lowered her hands, trying to control her anger. She closed her eyes, and held kept her hands together, trying to calm herself. The Yin inside her faded slowly away, being replaced by her Yang. For a few moments there, Aeris realized, she'd been something similar to Aireth when they'd fought at the flower field. She opened her eyes and looked at Lucifer.

His face looked even more massacred than when he only had the inhuman scars upon his face. His teeth flew in all directions, and his tongue hung limply from his mouth, dripping with blood. His nose was pulverized, red blood oozing from what was left of it.

He looked at Aeris. His poisonous green eyes showing nothing but Yin all the way. "You….monkey…." He moaned. He coughed blood, the blood falling down into the already red ocean below. Aeris said nothing to this. She just watched him, her gaze that of the Aeris the Cetra had always known: full of Yang and good thoughts, even now, as she watched one of the Cetras' worst enemies of all time die in front of her. "Have peace now, Lucifer. Go join the planet. Your army will be right behind you." Aeris said in a soothing voice. "You didn't have to do what you did back then. It didn't help you, or anyone of the Cetra. When a person has got the entire Yin as you have, you've got nothing to really motivate you in times of hardship. But since the Cetra has got the entire Yang in their souls, they have the power to overcome such difficult times, because we have something to truly fight for." Lucifer's expression was unreadable, due to the treatment Aeris had given him when she was about to be overcome by the darkness. And slowly, Lucifer's body faded away, transforming into the clear, gentle stream of the Lifestream. Bahamut's red Materia fell from his hand as his body started to dissolve. Aeris caught it before it reached the ocean below. She watched as Lucifer, the Cetra who'd tried to slaughter his own people, who had transformed Cetras into mindless puppets to serve him, and who had in the end used his abilities to frighten and manipulate the Cetra Aireth into stealing Bahamut the Dragon King, joined with the Planet at last…


	22. Chapter 22: Happiness and Sadness

**Chapter Twentytwo**

**Happiness and Sadness**

All the Cetras of Himitsu Shi was sitting around Aireth's bed in the House of Healing. They watched lie there, with her eyes shut in peaceful sleep. Her chest had been healed by Hasegawa and the rest of the Cetra who saved her after her fight with Bahamut.

All they were waiting for now, was for Aireth to wake up.

"Cannot believe she actually challenged Bahamut the Dragon King all by herself." Murasame said awed. "She still felt guilty for what she'd done. She felt like she had to repay us, somehow."

Hasegawa said. "I wonder what she felt when she fought him. Do you think she thought she could ever win that fight? Do you think she felt like she was committing suicide when she flew up to him?" "Aireth knows the limits of her own abilities. She knows when she is up against someone she cannot defeat. But if she feels like the only way she can set something right is by facing that enemy, she'll do it without hesitating." "Aeris said, looking down at her best friends' sleeping face. "Aeris, you know her best of all of us. Will she be able to cope with something like this, feeding her kid without using her own milk? How'll she take it?" Aeris didn't say anything for a long while. She stood there, looking at Aireth. She opened her covers. It wasn't possible to see on the outside anymore that her boobs were ruined. Aerith raised her hand, and used her Magical Power to look at Aireth's internal organs at the breast-section. She was about to puke by the sight of it. She turned her gaze away, and stopped scanning. When she looked at the other Cetras in the room, her expression was that of someone who'd just got a terrible truth thrown straight in the face. "You cannot see anything unless you use your Magical Power to scan her body. She'll never be able to produce milk for her baby, not the way….A mother should be allowed." Aeris wiped her eyes at this. It was just too much for her. This pain was just too real. "Aireth will need all the emotional help we can give her. All we can do is……Be there for her, and hope that'll be enough."

"So in other words: all we can do is what the Cetra has always done? Murasame asked. Aeris nodded. He looked at her, feeling angry tears spread from his eyes. "Aireth……I love her" All the Cetras' heads were turned towards him at this. Everybody looked at him. He looked down at the sleeping Cetra on the bed. "I don't want something like this for her. No matter what she's done, no one deserves something like this." He clenched his fist in suppressed sadness. "I don't want to see her have to feed her own child that way. Even if….Even if….I won't be the father"

"How come you never told anyone you had feelings for her?" Masamune asked. "It's not like you ever told anyone you have feelings for Hasegawa, Masamune." He replied. There was sharpness in his voice no one had ever heard before, they could tell Murasame was really torn apart by this, so they didn't pursue the subject.

Aeris was standing out on the flower field with the red Materia in her hands. Bahamut flew above her in midair. She released her Magical Power. Pushing it to the limits, Aeris started destroying the Materia which had kept Bahamut from being a free dragon. The small red ball started breaking in her hands. She watched as she strained to break it, feeling how exhaustion from straining herself nearly overpowered her. It was amazing how much more tiring it felt to destroy a Summoning Materia than it was to bring down an entire mountain. Aeris started breathing heavily. Drops of sweat appearing at her forehead, and her face got red from blood pressure. Another crack appeared in the small red ball. Now her hands were shaking from the release of her Magical Power. Then it broke, smashing into bits in her hands. The sound it made was like listening to an explosion from a bomb. Aeris looked up at Bahamut the Dragon King. He looked down at her. She made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands. "There, that should do it. You're free now, Bahamut-Sama. You can go wherever you want. You're a free dragon again." "And I'll be forever grateful to it, Lady Aeris. Thanks to you and Lady Hasegawa, I now understand what the Cetra really are." He flew down to her, casting a gigantic shadow over her as he came closer. He landed on the ground, bent forward, and licked Aeris in the face with a long, red slimy tongue. Aeris had never felt anything like it before. It couldn't be compared at all to when Billy the monkey bounced on her endlessly, licking her face. Aeris undid the Seal of the Dragon with her hands, so Bahamut couldn't read her mind.

"That was one of the worst experiences I've ever had." Aeris thought, wiping her face. She watched as Bahamut the Dragon King flew away into the sky. She laughed out of happiness at watching him enjoying freedom for the first time in centuries.

Aeris went back to the House of Healing to visit Aireth. She'd picked a large bouquet of white, yellow, red and purple flowers for her before she'd left the flower field. She placed them in a vase at a table beside Aireth's bed. She looked at her peaceful face. "Aireth…..If only you wouldn't have to go through this." Aeris raised her right hand and laid it fondly against Aireth's cheek, and bent forwards. "We'll always be there for you, Aireth. Even in your sleep, we'll always be there. You're never alone." She whispered in Aireth's ear.

Aireth opened her eyes. She was lying in a soft, warm bed in a completely darkened room. She turned her head. Dimly, she could see the outlines of a large bouquet at a table beside her.

She tried to think back on the dream she'd had.

She remembered seeing Aeris' face, telling her that everything would be alright. She remembered running around in the flower field with Aeris, screaming and howling with happiness as she'd rolled around among all the flowers. "That was the best dream I've had in ages." She thought. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door opening. She sat up in the bed and turned her head in the direction the sound came from in the dark room.

She saw a person with a candle in one hand entering the room and walking silently towards her. In the light of the candle, she could see Aeris' face. "Aeris!" She called out. Aeris nearly dropped the candle in surprise. She ran over to Aireth's bed, sat the candle at the table with the flowers, and flung her arms around her best friend in a tight embrace. "Aireth….Aireth…..You're back." She said silently through the sobs forcing their way up her throat. Aireth held her best friend tightly, crying silently. "I heard your voice in my dreams." She said after awhile, clinging unto Aeris' warm body. "You told me everything would be alright." Aeris nodded, sniffing from the sobs. "And when I woke up, I saw those flowers beside me.

Like a proof that what you told me was true" Aireth said through her sobs. "I picked those flowers for you yesterday. That's probably when you heard my voice. I whispered in your ear." Aeris said, still refusing to let go of Aireth. "That really helped me out, you know? We were running around in the flower field together!" Aireth said cheerfully. Aeris let out a chuckle of through the happy sobs. Her best friend was with her again.

The flower girls let go of each other. Suddenly, a shadow ran across Aeris' face. her smile faded, and she looked as if she was in terrible mental pain. "Aireth…..There's something you should know." She said. "What?" Aireth asked concerned with an anxious look on her face. "When Bahamut attacked you with his beams, and you fainted…..He destroyed your boobs." Aeris said, every word causing her pain. Aireth fell silent at this. "Does that mean….That when I am too have…..my own child….I won't be able to feed him with…..with my…..own milk?" She stammered, her clear green eyes begging for her to be wrong. Aeris nodded.

Aireth fell back on her pillow, her face screwed up. Tears poured from her eyes again, this time out of a terrible sadness. "Aeris….Help me." She sobbed. Aeris sat herself on the bed beside her best friend, and held her hands gently in her own.

She sat like that for a long time, caressing Aireth's trembling hands. Aireth sobbed, and now she didn't bother to sob silently. She screamed out her sorrow, her throat feeling as if it would tear apart at any moment. The sound filled the small round house, breaking the glass in the round windows. Aeris didn't let go of her tortured friend's hands. She did nothing to stop Aireth's screams. She knew it was necessary for her to get her feelings out. She knew she would've felt the same way if the same thing had happened to her. After awhile, Aireth's screaming stopped. She lied there on the bed, her eyes even sadder than when she returned to Himitsu Shi. "Aireth….I'm always there for you. Please don't bottle up your feelings for my sake."

Aeris said in a soothing voice. Aireth sat up and put her arms around her best friend again. "Aeris….Don't let go…" She begged in a trembling voice. "I won't, Aireth. I'll never let go." Aeris replied soothingly. "I….I never imagined anything like this would ever happen" Aireth said in the same trembling voice.

Aeris didn't know what to say to this. She just held her best friend tightly.

A few days later, Aireth was sitting alone in front of the temple with her feet in the water of the spring. She was wearing a pink nightgown with the letters "Sakana" written in Japanese letters across the back. It was in the middle of the night, and it seemed like the entire village was asleep. She watched her reflection in the clear water. It still looked sad. "Aireth?" She jumped, and turned around.

"Hi, Murasame" She replied. She didn't really know what to say.

"May I join you?" He asked. He looked as if he had something he really wanted to say to her. She nodded. He went over to Aireth and sat himself beside her, putting his bare feet in the spring.

"It's nice tonight." He said after awhile. They looked up at the sky. The stars and the moon were both glowing magnificently up there. "Yeah, the stars are back with us." Aireth said silently, gazing up at the sky. She looked over at Murasame again.

"You okay?" She asked suddenly. "Yeah, sure. I'm alright." He mumbled back. She didn't say anything, though she knew he was lying. "Actually….I….I wanted to…..talk to you about something." He mumbled after awhile. Aireth looked over at him, her face confused. "What did he mean?" She wondered.

Murasame took a deep breath before continuing, "When you were hit by one of Bahamut's beams…..I felt as if….as if I lost a part of myself. When I saw what happened to you, I thought you died. I saw and heard you screaming, and it felt as if my heart was being torn apart, as if I was in as much pain as you were. I was afraid then that I would never get another chance to tell you how I feel." Murasame looked sideways at Aireth, looking as if he didn't dare to meet her eye directly.

"Murasame, tell me what's troubling you. You know I'm here for you." Murasame finally looked Aireth directly into her eyes. He had a surprised look on his face. "I thought that….only Aeris could say that about you." He said after awhile.

Aireth looked at him, her clear green eyes showing something Murasame couldn't explain or describe. To him, her eyes were unreadable at the moment.

"That's not true. I'll always be there for all the Cetra, especially when they need me." Murasame nodded. "Tell me what's troubling you, please! I cannot stand it when I see you troubled like this!" Aireth said suddenly, sounding slightly desperate.

"She says that, and has those eyes. She wants to know what's "troubling me"; though she probably doesn't have a clue that it concerns her." Murasame thought, looking into her unreadable, green eyes. He took a deep breath.

"Aireth, I've been in love with you since you came into my life. Ever since we and the others were kids in Himitsu Shi, I've loved you. I love you so much I cannot live without you. You mean everything to me. If you died, I would just be half myself –"

He was interrupted by Aireth putting a finger on his lips.

She put her arms around his neck, and put her lips gently against his. She didn't overdo it. She did it rather carefully, in order to make sure he enjoyed it, especially the first time. "You don't need to say anymore. I understand how you feel." She said in a soothing voice.

"Aireth….I love you so much." He whispered. She kissed him again, holding the kiss longer this time. "Murasame….Please, don't hesitate." She whispered pleadingly, her green eyes full of longing. "She wants me" Murasame put his arms around her neck as well, and put his lips against hers. He heard moans escape her as he held the kiss. This made him jump, and he broke the kiss. "Did I…..get a little…..hasty?" He asked concerned.

"Murasame…..please, don't hesitate. I want you so much." Aireth whispered. He resumed the kissing, though still carefully.

Aireth fell on top of him, opened her nightgown a little, and lay on top of Murasame. "What do you want to do?" Murasame asked quietly. "I want to kiss you until you're satisfied and make love to you." "Why?" Aireth looked back at him, She had never felt so strongly for anyone before. "Because I love you"

He couldn't believe what he'd just heard Aireth say.

She _couldn't_ have said it! _She loved him_! She'd actually told him that! "Do you have any idea how much that means to me?" He asked with her on top of him, lying on the ground beside the spring. Aireth kissed him, with tongue this time. His eyes widened in shock. He wasn't expecting this, but he didn't hesitate. He loved her too much. He wanted the happiness he felt when he felt her tongue make contact with his own. Murasame couldn't remember ever feeling such bliss before. It was happiness beyond anything he'd ever experienced. And it was with _Aireth_! She finally broke the kiss, and laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He breathed in her sweet smell as she lay on top of him. "Aireth….I'll always love you" He whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, he heard small grunts come from her, and realized her body had gone all slack. She'd fallen asleep in his arms.

He felt how happiness was about to overwhelm him as he heard the cute noises come from her. And then, as he laid there listening to her cute snores, he realized that she could still be happy, even what happened to her. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep outside the Cetra temple. The happiest couple in Himitsu Shi.

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